The 8-string guitar’s range in notes and hertz
| Sounding | Written | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical low | F♯1 | F♯2 | 46.25 Hz |
| Practical high | C♯6 | C♯7 | 1108.7 Hz |
| Extreme high | E6 | E7 | 1318.5 Hz |
Many players drop the low F♯ to E1, the lowest note of a four-string bass. The top is the electric guitar’s 21 to 24 frets above the high E.
Written and sounding pitch
The 8-string guitar is a transposing instrument: it sounds an octave lower than written. So the range on its part is F♯2–C♯7, while the notes you hear are F♯1–C♯6. The transposing-instrument tuner reads out the written note as you play.
Instruments with a similar range
The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the 8-string guitar’s:
- Piano · A0–C8 56 notes shared
- 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 51 notes shared
- Cello · C2–A6 50 notes shared
- Harp · C2–A6 50 notes shared
- Marimba · C2–C7 50 notes shared
- Baritone guitar · B1–B5 49 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- 8-string guitar tuner — tune by microphone, with the 8-string guitar’s own target notes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a 8-string guitar?
The 8-string guitar’s normal range runs from F♯1 to C♯6 — 46.25 to 1108.7 Hz, about 4.6 octaves. At the extremes it reaches F♯1–E6. Its part is written F♯2–C♯7, because it sounds an octave lower than written.
What is the lowest note on a 8-string guitar?
F♯1 (46.25 Hz).
What is the highest note on a 8-string guitar?
C♯6 is the top of the normal range, and E6 (1318.5 Hz) is reachable at the extreme.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Guitar
- Range computed from the open strings (F♯1 to E4) and the fret count (21 to 24 frets).