The default tuning almost every guitar ships in and the reference point every other tuning is described against — bright, balanced, and the setup behind the vast majority of songs, chords and scale shapes you will ever learn. Low to high: E A D G B E.
Standard tuning is, from the low (6th) string to the high (1st) string, E A D G B E.
Standard tuning is the default every guitar ships in: from the thickest (6th) string to the thinnest (1st), the notes are E A D G B E. Tune the low E (6th) string to pitch first, using a tuner, a piano, or a reference E (82.41 Hz). Fret the 6th string at the 5th fret (an A) and match the open 5th string to it; the 5th fret of the 5th string (D) tunes the open 4th; the 5th fret of the 4th string (G) tunes the open 3rd. The one exception: fret the 3rd (G) string at the 4th fret (a B) to tune the open 2nd string, then the 5th fret of the 2nd string (E) tunes the open high E (1st). Or just open the free online tuner and match each open string to E A D G B E — no relative-tuning math needed.
Popular songs in Standard tuning include Back in Black by AC/DC, Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple, Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits, Wonderwall by Oasis.
The default tuning almost every guitar ships in and the reference point every other tuning is described against — bright, balanced, and the setup behind the vast majority of songs, chords and scale shapes you will ever learn.
More tunings: see all 19 tunings · standard tuning chart