Guitar Nashville (High-Strung) Tuner — Tune to Nashville (High-Strung) in Your Browser
Mic-based chromatic tuner pre-set to Nashville (High-Strung). No download, no sign-up, works in your browser.
Tuning summary
- Notes (low to high)
- E3 · A3 · D4 · G4 · B3 · E4
- Instrument
- Guitar
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- About this tuning
- Replaces the lower four strings with the high octaves of a 12-string. Layered with a standard guitar it is the classic 12-string shimmer.
Start tuning
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About Nashville (High-Strung) on guitar
Nashville tuning, also called High-Strung tuning, replaces the bottom four strings of a 6-string with the high octaves from a 12-string set. The tuning is EADGBE in name, but the bottom four strings are an octave higher than standard: E3 A3 D4 G4 B3 E4. The top two strings stay where they are.
The technique exists for a single, beautiful purpose: layering. Recorded alongside a standard-tuned acoustic guitar, a Nashville-tuned guitar produces the shimmering, chorus-y sound of a 12-string without any of a 12-string's playability issues. Producers in country and pop have used this trick since the 1960s, and it is on hundreds of hit records — frequently uncredited, because the listener just hears 'a great-sounding acoustic'.
The strings are not standard. To set up a Nashville-strung guitar, take a 12-string string set and use only the higher-octave strings from the bottom four pairs. Combined with the standard B and E first strings, this gives the high-strung set. There is no commercially-sold dedicated Nashville set from most string makers, so players assemble it from a 12-string set and discard the lower-octave strings.
If you have a spare cheap acoustic, restring it Nashville and record it doubled with a standard guitar on any acoustic-driven song. The result is instantly more polished. Solo, a Nashville-tuned guitar sounds bright but a little thin; layered, it adds the high shimmer that makes acoustic mixes feel three-dimensional. It is one of the highest-value studio tricks in folk, country, and singer-songwriter production.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is it called Nashville tuning?
- Because it became a standard layering trick in the Nashville studio scene of the 1960s. The technical name is High-Strung.
- Do I need special strings?
- Yes — buy a 12-string set and use only the higher-octave strings from the bottom four courses, plus standard B and E for the top two.
- Can I play Nashville live?
- Yes, though it sounds thin solo. It really shines layered with a standard-tuned guitar.
- What records use Nashville tuning?
- Many — it's often uncredited. The Eagles' 'Wasted Time', the Stones' 'Wild Horses', and countless country recordings use it for the doubled acoustic shimmer.
- Does Nashville tuning damage the neck?
- No — overall tension is lower than standard because only the top two strings carry standard pitch.