Beginner Guides

Guitar String Names and Order

A lot of beginners do not actually struggle with tuning first. They struggle with the fact that guitar string naming feels backward. Once you understand low E, high E, and the string numbers, a lot of beginner confusion disappears fast.

Need the standard notes right now?

Use the standard tuning reference while you lock in the string order.

Open Standard Tuner

The six guitar strings in order

In standard tuning, the strings are:

String names from 6th to 1st

E - A - D - G - B - E

6th string = low E, 1st string = high E.

That order matters because guitarists usually refer to strings by both number and note name.

So when someone says "play the 2nd string," they mean the B string. When they say "check the 6th string," they mean the low E string in standard tuning.

It also matters when you start reading tabs. The tab lines follow pitch order, so this guide pairs well with how to read guitar tabs if the layout still feels backward. Once the open strings feel clear, move on to guitar fretboard notes for beginners so the rest of the neck stops feeling like blank territory.

String numbers from 6th to 1st

6th string

Low E
Thickest string, lowest pitch.

5th string

A
Second thickest string.

4th string

D
Middle-low string in the set.

3rd string

G
Middle-high string in the set.

2nd string

B
Thin string just above G.

1st string

High E
Thinnest string, highest pitch.

If you want the full standard tuning reference, read standard guitar tuning notes. This guide is more about orientation and string identification than about the tuning target itself.

Why low E and high E confuse beginners

There are two main reasons:

There are two E strings.
The thick string can look visually "higher" when you are holding the guitar.

That makes beginners assume the thick string should be the 1st string.

It is not.

Guitar strings are numbered by convention, from the highest-pitched string as 1st down to the lowest-pitched string as 6th.

Quick rules that prevent common mistakes

Use these rules until they feel automatic

Thickest string = 6th string = low E in standard tuning.
Thinnest string = 1st string = high E in standard tuning.
Before turning a peg, follow the string with your eyes to make sure it is the right one.
If the tuner result looks weird, check the string name first before blaming the tuner.

That alone clears up a lot of beginner confusion.

How to find the right tuning peg

Use this before you turn anything

Pluck the string you want to tune.
Trace that exact string up to the headstock with your eyes.
Touch the matching tuning peg before you turn it.
Make a small adjustment and pluck the same string again.

If you skip that trace-and-check step, you will eventually tune the wrong string and wonder why everything got worse.

A simple drill to memorize the order

Use the guitar in your hands, not just memory tricks

Point to each string and say both the number and the name.

Example: "6th string, low E" → "5th string, A" → "4th string, D" and so on.

Then do the same thing in reverse from the 1st string back to the 6th string.

That is better than relying on a phrase and still hesitating when you need the actual string.

Does the string order change in alternate tunings?

The string numbers do not change.

The 6th string is still the 6th string. The 1st string is still the 1st string.

What changes is the note on that string.

For example, in Drop D, the 6th string is no longer low E. It becomes D. But it is still the 6th string.

That distinction matters. String number tells you which string you are touching. Tuning tells you which note that string should produce.

Why string order matters for tuning

If you do not know which string is which, you are more likely to:

turn the wrong tuning peg
check the wrong note
think the tuner is broken
confuse standard tuning with an alternate tuning target

That is why this topic is not trivia. It is basic navigation.

Stop mixing up low E and high E

Use the standard tuner and check each string by name until the order feels automatic.

Practice with Standard Tuning