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LESS TUNING. MORE PLAYING.

Killing in the Name guitar tuning.

Rage Against The Machine

Tune open strings first. Fit your capo, then switch on “Check with capo on”.

Drop DD A D G B E
REFERENCE TONEA4 = 440 Hz
D2
D · 6th string73.42 Hz

Choose a string below to hear its note.

PLAY A STRINGThickest Thinnest
6 strings · 3 seconds each
Sound & advanced settings

A gentle ping follows a steady note within 5 cents. Its volume follows the sound slider. Microphone audio stays on your device.

Check your intonation.

Compare one open string with the same string pressed at fret 12. Remove your capo and mute the other strings.

  1. 1. Tune and measure the open string
  2. 2. Press at fret 12 and measure again

Press just behind fret 12 with normal pressure. Do not play a harmonic. Repeat the comparison to confirm the result.

Check your six strings.

Press start, then sweep gently across all six open strings, from thickest to thinnest. Let them ring together.

Experimental: overlapping notes can be unclear. Select any result to measure that string alone in this window.

Check a known reference.

Play a steady reference from another device or instrument whose frequency you know. Enter that frequency below.

This compares your input with the reference you supply. It is not a certified calibration. Only numbers are saved, never audio.
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By ear: click a note, match your string, then move to the next. Keyboard: 1–6 to play · Esc to stop

KNOW YOUR TUNING

Drop D: D A D G B E

Starting in standard tuning, lower only your thickest string from E to D. The other five strings stay exactly where they are.

The table shows the open-string setup at A4 = 440 Hz. For capo pitches, use the capo controls above.

Drop D notes and frequencies from thickest to thinnest
StringNoteHzFrom standard
6 · thickestD273.42E → D, down a whole step
5A2110.00A, unchanged
4D3146.83D, unchanged
3G3196.00G, unchanged
2B3246.94B, unchanged
1 · thinnestE4329.63E, unchanged

THE TUNEGUITAR GUIDE

A setup plan for Killing in the Name

TuneGuitar guide · Updated 6 October 2026 · How we prepare our guides

What to check for this arrangement

The source uses Drop D. Keep the top five strings where they are in standard, then verify that the sixth and fourth strings are Ds an octave apart. For a preparation exercise, compare a light low-string attack with your normal attack and look for a stable settled note before treating the first sharp transient as a tuning error.

Which guitar part does this page cover?

The selected part is Lead Guitar in the linked Rage Against The Machine arrangement. The table exposes the part alternatives retained in our source record; repeated targets can still belong to different musical lines. It is not a complete inventory of every performance or recording.

Arrangement evidence, not a transcription
Source part labelOpen notes, low side firstUse
Lead GuitarD2 · A2 · D3 · G3 · B3 · E4Selected here

Source labels are preserved as supplied. The source record was last checked on 2026-09-12; this editorial update does not claim a fresh audit of the external arrangement. No notation, lyrics or recorded audio are reproduced.

Open the named source arrangement

Set the open strings before choosing the sound

From a standard guitar to this source part
StringStartTargetAdjustment
6E2D2Lower 2 semitones
5A2A2Keep this target
4D3D3Keep this target
3G3G3Keep this target
2B3B3Keep this target
1E4E4Keep this target

The table starts from E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 at A4 = 440 Hz. If your guitar is already in another tuning, use its actual starting notes rather than repeating these adjustments. For the musical structure and physical considerations of this setup, read the

complete Drop D.

Plan the next song without guessing

This comparison calculates changes from this selected source part to the other stored arrangements. It compares open notes only. Check any capo, A4 reference and instrument change separately; unchanged targets still deserve a quick drift check.

Starting from Killing in the Name
Next source arrangementString changes
Everlong · Foo FightersNo open-string target change
Last Resort · Papa RoachNo open-string target change
Nightmare · Avenged SevenfoldNo open-string target change

If your lesson disagrees

Check the named part and recording version before choosing between the sources. A missing capo value means it has not been verified here, not that a capo is forbidden. Use Custom strings for a genuinely different target sequence, or prepare a correction with a source link. Do not retune solely because a processed guitar sound seems lower.

Contact and corrections

READY FOR THE FIRST CHORD

Keep playing.

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SETUP NOTE

What tuning is Killing in the Name by Rage Against The Machine in?

Killing in the Name by Rage Against The Machine: Drop D tuning (D A D G B E), for the lead guitar in the linked arrangement.

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Last updated 13 September 2026.

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Enter 4 to 12 notes in physical string order, from the thickest side. Include the octave, for example E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4. Use notes suitable for your strings and instrument.

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