Stringed instrument tunings

This is a chart of stringed instrument tunings. Instruments are listed alphabetically by their most commonly known name.

Terminology
A course may consist of one or more strings.

Courses are listed reading from left to right facing the front of the instrument, with the instrument standing vertically. On a majority of instruments, this places the notes from low to high pitch. Exceptions exist:
 * Instruments using reentrant tuning (e.g., the charango) may have a high string before a low string.
 * Instruments strung in the reverse direction (e.g. mountain dulcimer) will be noted with the highest sounding courses on the left and the lowest to the right.
 * A few instruments exist in "right-hand" and "left-hand" versions; left-handed instruments are not included here as separate entries, as their tuning is identical to the right-hand version, but with the strings in reverse order (e.g., a left-handed guitar).

Strings within a course are also given from left to right, facing the front of the instrument, with it standing vertically. Single-string courses are separated by spaces; multiple-string courses (i.e. paired or tripled strings) are shown with courses separated by bullet characters (•).



Pitch: Unless otherwise noted, contemporary western standard pitch (A4 = 440 Hz) and 12-tone equal temperament are assumed.

Octaves are given in scientific pitch notation, with Middle C written as "C4". (The 'A' above Middle C would then be written as "A4"; the next higher octave begins on "C5"; the next lower octave on "C3"; etc.)

Because stringed instruments are easily re-tuned, the concept of a "standard tuning" is somewhat flexible. Some instruments:
 * have a designated standard tuning (e.g., violin; guitar)
 * have more than one tuning considered "standard" (e.g. mejorana, ukulele)
 * do not have a standard tuning but rather a "common" tuning that is used more frequently than others (e.g., banjo; lap steel guitar)
 * are typically re-tuned to suit the music being played or the voice being accompanied and have no set "standard" at all (e.g., đàn nguyệt; Appalachian dulcimer)

Where more than one common tuning exists, the most common is given first and labeled "Standard" or "Standard/common". Other tunings will then be given under the heading "Alternates".