Nashville Tuning
This tuner is preset to Nashville tuning. The instrument type and tuning are locked for this page.
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Popular Songs in Nashville
Practice these carefully selected songs to get familiar with Nashville tuning. Each song showcases different techniques and chord progressions possible with this tuning.
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Wild Horses
The Rolling Stones
A classic Nashville-tuned acoustic layer. Great for hearing how high-strung guitar adds shimmer without replacing the main rhythm part.
Hey You
Pink Floyd
Uses a high-strung acoustic texture that shows how Nashville-style tuning can make arpeggios sound bright and suspended.
Dust in the Wind
Kansas
A strong example of Nashville-tuned acoustic doubling alongside standard guitar for a wide, 12-string-like sound.
The Boxer
Simon & Garfunkel
A useful folk reference for the bright, doubled high-string texture associated with Nashville tuning.
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
A modified high-strung/Nashville-style acoustic texture. Practice it to hear how familiar chord shapes change when the lower strings move up.
Why These Songs Work Well in Nashville
These songs were specifically chosen because they take advantage of Nashville tuning's unique characteristics. Whether it's the open chord voicings, easier fingering patterns, or the distinctive sound that this tuning provides, each song demonstrates why many guitarists choose Nashville for their music. Practice these songs to develop your ear for this tuning and discover new playing techniques.
Start Here in Nashville
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Practice Tips for Nashville
- Start with the beginner-level songs to get comfortable with the tuning
- Focus on how chord shapes differ from standard tuning
- Listen to the original recordings to understand the intended sound
- Practice transitioning between Nashville and standard tuning
- Experiment with the open strings to discover new chord voicings
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Learn Nashville After You Tune
Use this page as a short practice route: tune to E3-A3-D4-G4-B3-E4, hear how the open strings behave, then move into songs, related tunings, and chord shapes that make Nashville useful.
Intermediate
Best approached as a intermediate guitar tuning.
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Filter the song list by difficulty and genre once you are tuned.
high-strung acoustic layers, 12-string shimmer, studio double-tracking, country and folk rhythm guitar
First practice targets
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Related guides
About Nashville Tuning
Nashville tuning, also called high-strung tuning, keeps the same note names as standard guitar tuning but raises the lowest four strings by one octave. The target notes are E3-A3-D4-G4-B3-E4, which creates a bright, chiming sound similar to the octave strings on a 12-string guitar.
The chord shapes stay familiar because the open-string names are still E-A-D-G-B-E. What changes is the register: the low strings no longer supply bass notes, so open chords sound glassy, layered, and almost mandolin-like.
Nashville tuning is most useful in the studio or in arrangements with another guitar. Double a standard-tuned acoustic part with a Nashville-strung guitar and the two parts create a wide 12-string shimmer without needing a full 12-string instrument.
Do not tune normal low E, A, D, and G strings up an octave. Use a Nashville/high-strung set or the octave strings from a 12-string set so the raised strings have safe tension and intonate properly.
Nashville Tuning Notes
From lowest to highest: E3-A3-D4-G4-B3-E4
6th string
164.81 Hz
High E, one octave above normal low E and the biggest change from standard tuning.
5th string
220.00 Hz
High A, one octave above the normal 5th string.
4th string
293.66 Hz
High D, one octave above the normal 4th string.
3rd string
392.00 Hz
High G, one octave above the normal 3rd string and often the brightest open string in the set.
2nd string
246.94 Hz
B string, unchanged from standard tuning.
1st string
329.63 Hz
High E string, unchanged from standard tuning.
Recommended String Gauges for Nashville
Use purpose-made Nashville tuning strings or the octave strings from a 12-string set for the 6th, 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings. A typical high-strung set uses very light gauges on the lower four strings so E3, A3, D4, and G4 are safe at pitch. If you dedicate a guitar to Nashville tuning, a setup and nut check can help the thinner strings sit correctly.
Common Chords in Nashville
All Standard Chord Shapes
Use normal E, G, C, D, A, and minor shapes. The fingerings stay the same, but the octave layout changes the sound dramatically.
Open G Shape
A standard G shape becomes a sparkling, high-register texture that layers well under another acoustic guitar.
Open C Shape
The familiar C shape gets a mandolin-like upper shimmer because the formerly low strings now sit above the B string.
D and Asus Shapes
D, Dsus, A, and Asus shapes work especially well for doubled acoustic parts and jangly pop arrangements.
How to Tune to Nashville (E3-A3-D4-G4-B3-E4)
Install a Nashville/high-strung set. Do not try to raise a normal wound low E, A, D, or G string by a full octave.
Tune the 6th string to E3. It has the same note name as standard low E, but one octave higher.
Tune the 5th string to A3, one octave above the normal A string.
Tune the 4th string to D4, one octave above the normal D string.
Tune the 3rd string to G4, one octave above the normal G string.
Leave the 2nd and 1st strings at standard B3 and E4.
Strum familiar open chords softly at first. The voicings should feel like standard tuning but sound brighter and more layered.
Nashville Tuning FAQ
Quick answers for choosing strings, learning songs, and practicing this tuning.
What notes are in Nashville tuning?
Nashville tuning uses E3-A3-D4-G4-B3-E4 from lowest to highest string. The lower four string names stay E-A-D-G, but each is tuned one octave above normal standard tuning.
Is Nashville tuning the same as high-strung guitar?
Yes. Nashville tuning and high-strung guitar usually mean the same thing: a 6-string guitar strung with the octave strings from a 12-string style setup.
Can I use normal strings for Nashville tuning?
No. Do not tune normal low E, A, D, and G strings up an octave. Use a Nashville/high-strung set or the octave strings from a 12-string set so the strings can reach E3, A3, D4, and G4 safely.
Do Nashville tuning chord shapes change?
No. Standard chord shapes still work because the note names remain E-A-D-G-B-E. The sound changes because the lowest four strings are in a higher octave.
Is Nashville tuning the same as a 12-string guitar?
Not exactly. Nashville tuning uses only the high octave side of a 12-string style sound. It works especially well when layered with a normal standard-tuned guitar.
What is Nashville tuning best for?
Nashville is especially useful for high-strung acoustic layers, 12-string shimmer, studio double-tracking. It changes the way open strings and chord shapes feel, so spend a few minutes listening to the open strings before learning full songs.
Is Nashville tuning good for beginners?
Nashville is an intermediate tuning. Beginners can use it, but it helps to learn the target notes first and start with slower songs before trying fast chord changes.
What songs use Nashville tuning?
Popular examples in Nashville include Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones, Hey You by Pink Floyd, Dust in the Wind by Kansas. Use the song list on this page to filter by difficulty and pick a first practice target.