Editing Classical guitar (section)

==Tuning==
{{Main article|Guitar tuning}}
A variety of different tunings are used. The most common by far, which one could call the "standard tuning" is:
*e<sup>I</sup> – b – g – d – A – E

The above order is the tuning from the ''1st string'' (highest-pitched string e'—spatially the bottom string in playing position) to the ''6th string'' – lowest-pitched string E—spatially the upper string in playing position, and hence comfortable to pluck with the thumb.

The explanation for this "asymmetrical" tuning (in the sense that the maj 3rd is not between the two middle strings, as in the tuning of the viola da gamba) is probably that the guitar originated as a 4-string instrument (actually an instrument with 4 double courses of strings, see above) with a maj 3rd between the 2nd and 3rd strings, and it only became a 6-string instrument by gradual addition of a 5th string and then a 6th string tuned a 4th apart:

"The development of the modern tuning can be traced in stages. One of the tunings from the 16th century is C-F-A-D. This is equivalent to the top four strings of the modern guitar tuned a tone lower. However, the absolute pitch for these notes is not equivalent to modern "concert pitch". The tuning of the four-course guitar was moved up by a tone and toward the end of the 16th century, five-course instruments were in use with an added lower string tuned to A. This produced A-D-G-B-E, one of a wide number of variant tunings of the period. The low E string was added during the 18th century."<ref>Richard Chapman, "The New Complete Guitarist", p. 10 left</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! String !! [[Scientific pitch notation|Sci. pitch]] !! [[Helmholtz pitch notation|Helmholtz pitch]] !! [[Interval (music)|Interval]] from [[middle C]] !! Semitones from [[A440 (pitch standard)|A440]] !! [[Frequency|Freq.]], if using an [[Equal temperament|Equal temperament tuning]] (using [[Twelfth root of two|<math>\sqrt[12]{2} = 2^{(\frac{1}{12})}</math>]])
|-
| 1st (highest pitch) || E<sub>4</sub> || e' || [[major third]] above || −5 || <math>440 \rm{ Hz}\cdot (\sqrt[12]{2})^{-5} \approx </math> '''329.63&nbsp;Hz'''
|-
| 2nd|| B<sub>3</sub> || b || [[minor second]] below || −10 || <math>440 \rm{ Hz}\cdot (\sqrt[12]{2})^{-10} \approx </math> '''246.94&nbsp;Hz'''
|-
| 3rd || G<sub>3</sub> || g || [[perfect fourth]] below || −14 || <math>440 \rm{ Hz}\cdot (\sqrt[12]{2})^{-14} \approx </math> '''196.00&nbsp;Hz'''
|-
| 4th || D<sub>3</sub> || d  || [[minor seventh]] below || −19 || <math>440 \rm{ Hz}\cdot (\sqrt[12]{2})^{-19} \approx </math> '''146.83&nbsp;Hz'''
|-
| 5th || A<sub>2</sub> || A || minor tenth below || −24 || <math>440 \rm{ Hz}\cdot (\sqrt[12]{2})^{-24} = </math> '''110&nbsp;Hz'''
|-
| 6th (lowest pitch)|| E<sub>2</sub> || E || minor thirteenth below|| −29 || <math>440 \rm{ Hz}\cdot (\sqrt[12]{2})^{-29} \approx </math> '''82.41&nbsp;Hz'''
|}

This tuning is such that neighboring strings are at most 5 semitones apart.
There are also a variety of commonly used [[guitar tuning|alternate tunings]]. The most common is known as [[Drop D tuning]] which has the 6th string tuned down from an E to a D.