Guitar string names

You pick up a guitar, someone tells you to “tune the low E,” and you freeze — which string is that, and why does the chart show two E’s? Every beginner hits this wall, and it clears up fast once you learn the six names and the one quirk in how guitarists count the strings.

This guide names all six strings in order, explains the numbering that trips people up, shows you the standard tuning, and gives you memory tricks that work in both directions. You’ll get a full reference table you can keep beside the guitar, plus a quick note on why the two E strings sound so different.

The short answer: from the thickest, lowest-sounding string to the thinnest, highest-sounding string, the six strings are E, A, D, G, B, E. That thickest string is the 6th string (low E), then the 5th (A), 4th (D), 3rd (G), 2nd (B), and 1st string (high E).

The six string names, from thickest to thinnest

Standard tuning gives each open string a letter name — the pitch it sounds when you play it without pressing down any fret. Read from the fattest string to the skinniest, the names spell E–A–D–G–B–E. That order never changes in standard tuning, so it’s the first thing worth committing to memory.

Here’s what each one is called:

• 6th string — low E. The thickest string, closest to your face when you hold the guitar in playing position. It sounds the lowest note of the six.
• 5th string — A. The next string down in thickness.
• 4th string — D. The middle-low string.
• 3rd string — G. The middle-high string, and the last of the wound (metal-wrapped) strings on a typical set.
• 2nd string — B. A thin, plain string.
• 1st string — high E. The thinnest string, closest to the floor, sounding the highest note.

Notice that the first and last names are both E. They aren’t the same note, though — more on that below.

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Why the numbering feels backwards

The part that confuses almost everyone is that the numbers run opposite to the thickness. The 1st string is the thinnest and highest, while the 6th string is the thickest and lowest. So the “first” string isn’t the big one at the top of the neck — it’s the little one at the bottom.

There’s a reason for it. Guitarists number the strings from the one nearest the floor upward toward the ceiling, and the string nearest the floor happens to be the thinnest. It also matches how the strings sit in chord and tab diagrams. Once you know the rule — count from the thinnest string as number 1 — the numbering stops fighting you.

Two other words help here. “Low” and “high” refer to pitch, not physical position: the low E sounds low even though it sits at the top of the neck when you’re playing. And a string is “open” when you play it without fretting a note, which is when it sounds its named pitch.

Standard tuning: what E–A–D–G–B–E means

When guitarists say a guitar is in standard tuning, they mean the open strings are set to those six pitches — E, A, D, G, B, E from the 6th string to the 1st. It’s the tuning nearly every beginner song, chord chart, and lesson assumes, so it’s the one to learn first.

The spacing between the strings follows a pattern worth knowing. Each string is tuned a fourth above the one below it — a jump of five frets — with a single exception between the 3rd (G) and 2nd (B) strings, where the gap is a third (four frets). That one smaller gap is why chord shapes on the top two strings feel a little different from the rest, and it’s baked into standard tuning on purpose to make common chords easier to reach.

Tuning by ear from this pattern is a classic beginner exercise, but the fastest way to get in tune and to hear what each named string should sound like is to use a tuner. Our online guitar tuner listens through your device’s microphone and tells you whether each string is sharp, flat, or right on its target note.

Memory tricks for E–A–D–G–B–E

Because the string names are a fixed sequence, a short mnemonic sentence locks them in. The trick is to know which direction you’re reciting, since guitarists say the names both ways.

Thickest to thinnest (6th → 1st): E A D G B E

Reading from the low E up to the high E, a well-worn phrase is “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.” Each word’s first letter gives you the next string: Eddie, Ate, Dynamite, Good, Bye, Eddie. Two other favorites for the same direction are “Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears” and “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Ernie.”

Thinnest to thickest (1st → 6th): E B G D A E

Reading the other way, from the high E down to the low E, the letters become E, B, G, D, A, E, and a common phrase is “Every Boy Gets Dinner At Eight.” Another is “Every Beginner Gets Discouraged And Explodes.” Pick whichever sentence sticks; the only thing that matters is that its first letters match the string order in the direction you’re thinking.

Guitar string names and notes at a glance

This table lays out all six strings — the number, the note name, how thick it is, the exact pitch in scientific pitch notation, and one mnemonic word (from the thickest-to-thinnest sentence above) to anchor each name.

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Why there are two E strings — and they don’t sound the same

The 6th string and the 1st string are both named E, yet they clearly sound different. That’s because they’re the same note class two octaves apart. An octave is the distance between a note and the next note of the same name — like singing “doh” low and “doh” high; the pitches blend because one vibrates at exactly twice the frequency of the other.

The low E (6th string) sits at E2 in scientific pitch notation, and the high E (1st string) sits at E4. Two full octaves separate them, which is why the thick string growls and the thin string rings bright while both still count as “E.” When you strum an open-string chord like E major, those two E’s at opposite ends frame the sound and give the chord its full, wide feel.

How the string names connect to reading tab and to other tunings

Knowing the names pays off the moment you read guitar tablature. Tab uses six lines, one per string, and — following the same numbering logic — the top line is the 1st string (high E) and the bottom line is the 6th string (low E). Numbers on those lines tell you which fret to press on that named string, so a “0” on the bottom line means play the open low E. If tab is new to you, our guide on how to read guitar tabs walks through it line by line.

The names also give you a reference point for alternate tunings, where you deliberately change one or more strings away from standard. The most common one, drop D tuning, lowers only the 6th string from E down to D — you can only describe or use it once you know that the 6th string is the low E to begin with.

Hear the strings and write them down

When you want to see the six string names on the staff, hear each one played back, and check your tuning against real notation, get MuseScore Studio free at musescore.org — you can enter the open strings as notes and play them back instantly, so your ear learns what each named string should sound like. To hear how those strings ring inside real songs, browse and play back scores on musescore.com.

Wrapping up

The six guitar strings, thickest to thinnest, are E, A, D, G, B, E — the 6th string is the low E and the 1st string is the high E, with the numbers running opposite to the thickness. Lean on a mnemonic like “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie” going up or “Every Boy Gets Dinner At Eight” coming down, remember that the two E’s are two octaves apart, and the whole fretboard starts to make sense. Learn these six names first, and tuning, chords, and tab all get easier from there.

Frequently asked questions

What are the six guitar string names in order?

From the thickest, lowest-sounding string to the thinnest, highest-sounding string, they are E, A, D, G, B, E. That’s the 6th string (low E), 5th (A), 4th (D), 3rd (G), 2nd (B), and 1st string (high E) in standard tuning.

Which string is the 1st string on a guitar?

The 1st string is the thinnest string, the one nearest the floor when you hold the guitar, and it’s tuned to high E. The numbering runs opposite to thickness, so the fat string at the top of the neck is the 6th string (low E), not the first.

What is a good way to remember the guitar string names?

Use a mnemonic sentence. Going from the thickest string to the thinnest (E A D G B E), try “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.” Going from the thinnest to the thickest (E B G D A E), try “Every Boy Gets Dinner At Eight.” The first letters spell the string order.

Why are there two E strings on a guitar?

The 6th string and the 1st string are both E, but two octaves apart: the low E is E2 and the high E is E4. They share a note name because one vibrates at four times the frequency of the other, so they sound related while the thick string is deep and the thin string is bright.

Are guitar strings always tuned E A D G B E?

Standard tuning is E A D G B E, and it’s what most songs and lessons assume. Alternate tunings change one or more strings — drop D, for example, lowers just the 6th string from E to D. Learn standard tuning first, then explore the others once the six names are second nature.