Nashville tuning, also called high-strung, is a tuning that doesn't change the guitar's notes but their octaves. The four low strings (E A D G) are replaced with much thinner strings tuned an octave above normal, while the 2nd and 1st strings stay identical to standard. The result is a shimmering, crystalline sound, very close to the high strings of a 12-string guitar, but achieved on a regular 6-string.
In short: same notes as standard (E A D G B E), but the 6th, 5th, 4th and 3rd strings jump up an octave thanks to special thin strings. The 2nd and 1st stay put. It's used mainly in the studio to double a rhythm part.
What Nashville Tuning Is
The name comes from the Nashville recording studios where the technique caught on. The idea is simple: take the notes of standard EADGBE tuning and, for the four lowest strings, play them an octave higher. You don't shift any note into another (the names stay E A D G B E), but you change the actual pitch at which those notes sound.
Hence the two names you'll find it under: Nashville tuning, after the place, and high-strung, meaning strung high, because most of the strings are pulled up an octave.
Which Strings Change, and Why You Need Special Strings
The changes affect only the four low strings:
- 6th string: from E2 to E3
- 5th string: from A2 to A3
- 4th string: from D3 to D4
- 3rd string: from G3 to G4
The 2nd (B3) and 1st (E4) stay exactly as in standard tuning.
You can't just tune regular low strings up an octave — they'd snap right away, because the tension required would be enormous. You need much thinner strings instead. The practical solution is to use the "octave" strings from a 12-string guitar set: in those sets, the four low courses already include a thin string tuned an octave above. You fit those four thin strings in place of the standard low strings and pair them with a regular 2nd and 1st string. Ready-made high-strung sets are also available.
String Frequencies in Nashville Tuning
Here's the complete layout, from the 6th string (the lowest by position) to the 1st:
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 6th | E3 | 164.8 Hz |
| 5th | A3 | 220.0 Hz |
| 4th | D4 | 293.7 Hz |
| 3rd | G4 | 392.0 Hz |
| 2nd | B3 | 246.9 Hz |
| 1st | E4 | 329.6 Hz |
Why the Pitches Don't Rise in Order
Looking at the table, you'll notice something odd: the frequencies don't rise steadily from the 6th string to the 1st. The 3rd string (G4, 392.0 Hz) is higher than the 2nd (B3, 246.9 Hz) and even higher than the 1st (E4, 329.6 Hz). That's not a mistake — it's exactly the point of this tuning.
The four low strings have been raised an octave, so they end up higher than the two high strings, which stay at standard pitch. That crossover is what creates the surprise effect when you arpeggiate: the notes you'd expect to sound low come out crystalline instead. To understand where this sound comes from, it helps to compare it with the principle explained in 6-string vs 12-string guitar.
How It Sounds and Why It's Used in the Studio
Played on its own, a guitar in Nashville tuning has a thin, chiming tone, almost like a mandolin — the low end is completely missing. That's exactly why you'll rarely hear it carrying a song entirely on its own.
Its classic use is doubling, or layering. You record a rhythm part in standard tuning, then record a second, identical part — same fingering positions — with the guitar in Nashville tuning. In the mix, the two tracks combine to recreate the same shimmering richness as a 12-string, with the advantage of being able to set the volume and stereo position of each guitar separately. It's a widely used studio technique for adding air and brightness to an acoustic arrangement.
How to String and Tune It
First, fit the right strings — the thin ones taken from a 12-string set on positions 6, 5, 4 and 3, plus a regular 2nd and 1st string — then tune each string to its target note. A chromatic tuner is essential here, because you're working with unusual pitches and your ear can easily get confused: play the open string and bring it up to the note shown. With EasyGuitarTuner, a free chromatic tuner that runs right in your browser, you can hit every target note without installing anything. Take your time bringing the low strings up to their high target notes — they're thin strings under a lot of tension, so they need to be brought up to pitch gradually to avoid snapping.