7-String Guitar · 7 STRINGS
7-String Guitar Drop A Tuning
Seven-string standard with the seventh string lowered a whole step to A, which puts the one-finger power chord of Drop D on the bottom of the instrument.
How to tune
Getting into Drop A
Work down the list in order — each string's tension moves the ones already set.
Allow microphone access
Asked once. Detection runs on your device; nothing is uploaded.
Play one string at a time
Let it ring open. A strummed chord gives the detector several pitches.
Centre the needle
Sharp means loosen, flat means tighten. Inside three cents is in tune.
Work up from string 7, one at a time
The lowest string carries the most tension, so setting it first means the rest hold. The panel below lists every target in that order.
Run through every string once more
Setting one string drifts the rest; the second pass makes it hold.
Changing from Standard
1 string a whole step down
The other 6 strings keep their standard pitch.
Each bar shows how far that string sits from standard tuning. Select a string in Note Locking above to hold the tuner on it while you turn the peg.
About this tuning
About Drop A Tuning
Only the seventh string moves, from B down to A. The six strings above it stay exactly where a six-string standard puts them, so every chord, scale and lick you already play is untouched — you simply gain a lower root and a fifth between the bottom two strings.
That fifth is the whole point. Barre the lowest three strings at any fret and you have a power chord under one finger, the same trick Drop D gives a six-string, except the root now sits a fourth below a six-string's low E. Riffs written on the low string can slide the length of the neck without the hand changing shape.
It is the standard heavy tuning on a seven-string, and the reason many players buy one. Tension is the thing to watch: a set built for seven-string standard goes slack on that seventh string at A, so most players run a heavier bottom string — .064 or more on a 25.5" scale, or a longer multi-scale neck — and have the guitar set up for it.
Also known as
- Dropped A
- AEADGBE tuning
Used in
- Metalcore
- Deathcore
- Djent
- Progressive metal
What it buys you
- One-finger power chords on the bottom three strings
- Six strings stay at standard, so nothing you already play changes
- A low A without a baritone scale or an eight-string
- The same shapes as Drop D, a fourth lower
Note frequencies
Drop A string frequencies
The 7 open strings of 7-String Guitar Drop A, lowest first, at A4 = 440 Hz. Each one is the pitch the tuner is listening for — A1 is A in octave 1.
| Note | Also | Solfège | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | — | La | 55.00 Hz |
| E2 | — | Mi | 82.41 Hz |
| A2 | — | La | 110.00 Hz |
| D3 | — | Re | 146.83 Hz |
| G3 | — | Sol | 196.00 Hz |
| B3 | — | Si | 246.94 Hz |
| E4 | — | Mi | 329.63 Hz |
Sharps and flats share a pitch on a tuner: C♯ and D♭ are the same frequency, and which name you use depends on the key you are in, not on what the meter reads.
Questions
Drop A tuning, answered
Seven-string standard with the seventh string lowered a whole step to A, which puts the one-finger power chord of Drop D on the bottom of the instrument. The 7 strings are tuned A1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4, from the lowest-pitched string up.
It moves string 7 from B1 to A1. The remaining 6 strings stay at standard pitch.
No. On a seven-string the six upper strings stay at standard pitch and only the seventh drops to A, so the tuning is A E A D G B E. Six-string Drop A takes every string down and lands on A E A D F♯ B, which is a much slacker instrument and a different set of shapes above the bottom three strings.
The seventh string is the one that matters. A .059 is the usual minimum on a 25.5" scale and .064 to .068 is more common for players who stay in Drop A; the six strings above it can stay on a normal set because they are still at standard pitch. A longer or multi-scale neck lets you use a lighter bottom string for the same tension.
A standard set reaches the pitch but goes slack at it. Dropping the lowest string a whole step down costs enough tension that the string starts flapping against the frets and the intonation drifts sharp when you dig in. On a 25.5" scale, moving from a .010 set to .011 or .012, with a wound low string to match, is the common answer.
No. The neck is built for the tension of standard tuning, and lowering the strings only reduces it. What changes is the relief: less pull straightens the neck slightly and lowers the action, which is what causes buzzing rather than any damage. If you keep the instrument in Drop A permanently, a truss rod and action setup fixes it. Switching back and forth harms nothing.
Yes. The tuner on this page listens through your device microphone and compares what it hears against the exact frequencies for A1 E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4. Play one string at a time in a quiet room, and let the note ring rather than strumming.
No. This Drop A tuner runs in your browser — there is nothing to download, nothing to install and no account to create. Allow microphone access when the browser asks and the tuner starts listening. It works the same way on a phone, a tablet and a desktop.
Related tunings
Where to go from Drop A
Each one is described as the move from Drop A, so you can see how far away it is before you commit to turning a peg.