Lap Steel Tuning

Standard Lap Steel Tuning

The 6 strings of a lap steel, tuned C-E-G-A-C-E from lowest to highest pitch in standard tuning — the tuning almost every player starts with.

How to Tune a Lap Steel

Pluck one open string at a time and turn its tuning peg or machine head while the string rings, listening until the pitch matches a reference tone. Small, unhurried turns are easier to judge by ear than fast ones.

Use an electronic tuner for the fastest, most accurate result — clip-on and app tuners read the pitch directly, so you don't need a reference tone at all. Open the String Warrior tuner to tune with your microphone: it listens to each string and shows exactly how sharp or flat it is.