8-string guitar tuning (F♯ B E A D G B E)
Djent and progressive metal: Meshuggah, Animals as Leaders, Tosin Abasi and the players they inspired.
An 8-string in standard tuning adds two strings below a regular guitar: F♯ B E A D G B E. The top six are standard, the seventh is the familiar low B, and the eighth is an F♯ a fourth below that.
The low F♯ (46.25 Hz) is lower than a 4-string bass's low E. Scale lengths of 27 inches and up, and a multiscale (fanned-fret) design, exist mostly to keep that string tight and in tune.
Notes and frequencies
From the thickest string to the thinnest, at concert pitch (A4 = 440 Hz). This is the reference every other 8-string guitar tuning is measured against.
| String | Note | Frequency (A4 = 440 Hz) | Change from standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | F♯1 | 46.25 Hz | as standard |
| 7 | B1 | 61.74 Hz | as standard |
| 6 | E2 | 82.41 Hz | as standard |
| 5 | A2 | 110.00 Hz | as standard |
| 4 | D3 | 146.83 Hz | as standard |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 Hz | as standard |
| 2 | B3 | 246.94 Hz | as standard |
| 1 | E4 | 329.63 Hz | as standard |
Tuning to Standard in TuneGlass
- Open Settings and choose 8-string guitar.
- Standard tuning is already selected. Play any string: the dial shows the nearest string and how far off it is.
- Play one string at a time. The needle turns green and the scale fills when the string is in tune. Hold a string circle to hear its reference note.
Tips
- Tune from the top strings down. The low F♯ and B pull hard on the neck, so set the high strings first and check them again after the low ones are up to pitch.
- For the F♯ pluck gently near the neck pickup and let it ring. A hard pick attack near the bridge produces mostly overtones and tuners read them an octave up.
- Select 8-string guitar in TuneGlass Settings so the app listens down to 28 Hz.
Questions
What is 8-string standard tuning?
F♯ B E A D G B E, from the lowest string. The two extra strings sit a fourth apart below the regular low E.
Why do 8-strings have longer necks?
To keep the low F♯ at a playable tension. At a normal 25.5-inch scale that string would need to be extremely thick and would still feel loose.
Related tunings
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