Where does this come from, and can I check it?

E, A, D and G are fourths apart, with a third gap before B. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a music fact?

Yes. It sits on the Music shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A guitar is tuned mostly in fourths

E, A, D and G are fourths apart, with a third gap before B The irregular interval makes common chord shapes possible with four fingers. Fret spacing follows equal temperament, so each fret shortens the vibrating length by a fixed ratio. The modern six string instrument grew out of earlier four and five course guitars. It sits in Mondo's music collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Britannica

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Music trivia

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Tags: guitar, tuning, instruments

A guitar is tuned mostly in fourths: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: E, A, D and G are fourths apart, with a third gap before B. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a music fact?: Yes. It sits on the Music shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.