Your classical guitar tunes like any other guitar: E-A-D-G-B-E, from the sixth string to the first. It's the same standard tuning as an electric or a steel-string acoustic; what's different is the strings, because nylon takes longer to settle and sounds softer.
The tuner above runs in your browser with the microphone on your phone or computer, so there's no app to download.
The six strings of a classical guitar
From the lowest to the highest:
| String | Note | Hz |
|---|---|---|
| String 6 | E2 | 82.41 Hz |
| String 5 | A2 | 110.00 Hz |
| String 4 | D3 | 146.83 Hz |
| String 3 | G3 | 196.00 Hz |
| String 2 | B3 | 246.94 Hz |
| String 1 | E4 | 329.63 Hz |
The first and the sixth are both E, two octaves apart. If they ring cleanly together open, those two are in tune with each other.
Nylon vs steel
Attack. Nylon has a softer attack and a rounder tone, so the note reaches the microphone with less body. If the tuner is slow to lock on, pluck a little more firmly than feels natural, but not hard, and get closer to the microphone. The note needs to be clean and sustained, not loud.
Feel. Nylon strings sit at lower tension and are spaced wider apart, which is why a lot of people find a classical guitar easier on the fingers to start on.
How to tune a classical guitar, step by step
- Press “Start tuner” and allow the microphone.
- Start with the sixth string, the thickest one. Play it open, without fretting anything.
- Watch the indicator: if it goes left, the string is flat and needs tightening; if it goes right, it's sharp and needs loosening.
- Always tune up to the note. If you overshoot, drop below it and come back up: the string sits firmer at the peg and holds better.
- Repeat with the other five.
- Go round a second time, because tightening some strings shifts the pull on the neck a little and the first ones will have moved. With new strings, go round a third time.
How to tune a classical guitar without a tuner
The fifth-fret method works the same on nylon:
- Fret the sixth string at the fifth fret: it should match the open fifth string.
- Fifth fret of the fifth string = open fourth.
- Fifth fret of the fourth string = open third.
- Fourth fret of the third string = open second. This is the exception: fourth, not fifth.
- Fifth fret of the second string = open first.
That gets the guitar in tune with itself, but not necessarily at concert pitch. To play with someone else, or along to a recording, you need an outside reference: a tuner, a tuning fork or a piano.
Which strings to buy
Nylon strings are sold by tension rather than by gauge, usually as low, normal or hard.
If you're starting out, or not sure, go for normal. Hard tension gives more volume, but it's harder to press.
The one thing never to do is put steel strings on a classical guitar. It isn't built for steel's much higher tension, and damage to the top or the neck isn't cheap to fix.
Tuning a classical guitar for the first time
New nylon strings won't hold their tuning for the first week: they keep stretching and going flat, much longer than a steel set does. Retune each time you play and they settle by the end of the week.
The weather moves it too, as it does any guitar. One kept by a window or a radiator needs checking more often than one that lives in its case.
Frequently asked questions
How do you tune a classical guitar?
A classical guitar tunes to standard E-A-D-G-B-E, from the sixth string to the first. Play each open string into the tuner above and turn the peg until it reads in tune, starting with the sixth, then go round a second time.
Is a classical guitar tuned the same as an acoustic?
Yes. Classical, steel-string acoustic and electric guitars all use standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning. The string material and the feel are different; the notes aren't.
Do I need to download an app to tune a classical guitar?
No. The tuner on this page runs in your browser using the microphone on your phone or computer. Nothing to install, no sign-up, and it's free.
How do you tune a classical guitar without a tuner?
Use the fifth-fret method: each string fretted at the fifth fret should match the next string open, except the third string, which you fret at the fourth. That gets the guitar in tune with itself, though not necessarily at concert pitch.
Why does my classical guitar keep going out of tune?
If the strings are new, that's normal: nylon keeps stretching for about a week. If they've been on a while, it's usually changes in temperature or humidity.
Can you put steel strings on a classical guitar?
No. A classical guitar is built for the much lower tension of nylon, and steel strings can do permanent damage to the top or the neck.
How long do new nylon strings take to settle?
About a week. Playing them, and gently stretching them by hand, speeds it up.
Should I tune to 440 or 432 Hz?
440 Hz. It's the standard, and what other instruments are usually tuned to. If you need another, you can change the reference in the tuner itself.
Where to go next
- Standard guitar tuning: the same tuning, explained in full
- Guitar tuner: for electric and steel-string acoustic
- Drop D: the sixth string down to D, which works on nylon too
- All tunings
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