How to Tune a Guitar

Learning how to tune a guitar can be a simple process; yet can be challenging for beginners. We recommend that every beginner acquire & learn to use a tuner (chromatic tuner preferred, so you can tune strings to anything you decide - or a tuning of a particular song). On I Love Guitar, most lessons will be in standard tuning [EADGBE - low to high], unless otherwise indicated.

Having the guitar in tune creates a positive experience. An out of tune guitar can sometimes make you think you might be doing something wrong.

Using a tuner is an option, but batteries die, & your ear should be able to get you in tune. Since there are many tuning methods, try all of them, & decide which one works best for you & your guitar.

Depending on the guitar & your environment, one method might work better than another. For whatever method you choose, it will be necessary to make a couple of passes through the strings (do the process more than once).

When you turn pegs, the tension of one string affects the tension of another. Plus, the neck will 'warp' a bit with each change (this is called relief).

For a normal guitar, there are thousands of potential tunings. Standard Tuning is the most popular & has been around for over 200 years. It is also a brilliant example of great decision making by our guitar playing ancestors.

Using a Guitar Tuner

A tuner is a device that gauges the frequency (the pitch - high/low) of your strings. It 'listens' to the strings, & provides a visual reference for you to tune a string one at a time. This is the 'easiest' tuning method. Even if you utilize a tuner, practice other methods of tuning using your ear. Sometimes recordings can be 'out of tune' with a tuner, or those batteries run out, or you might forget to bring it, so having other ways to tune is important. One the key points here is that your strings have to be in the range of the tone you are targeting. These reference tones help with this. Also make sure that the tuner is displaying the correct tone name that you are plucking [EADGBE], & that you don't see a flat or sharp symbol (for chromatic tuners).

5-0 (4-0) Comparative Method

The following method uses open strings to compare fretted tones.

1. Tune the low E string (or the open A string - string 5) to a reference pitch, such as a piano, pitch pipe, tuning fork, or metronome tone (most metronomes have an A reference tone).
2. Once you have one of these strings in tune, tune the other to the in-tune one. Example: if you tuned the low E to a reference tone, fret the 5th fret on the low E, then pluck the open A string, & compare it using your ear. Then turn the tuning peg for the A string and make the tone sound 'exactly' as the fretted A (the 5th fret on the 6th string). They should sound the same. Use your ear to level the tones out.
3. Continue the same process for the other strings (going in order), noting that the 3 to 2 strings are 4-0, rather than 5-0.

Comparative Method in Guitar Tab (same as above)

Once the 6th string (Low E) is in relative tune, fret the 5 fret (A) on that string & compare it to the open A, tune as needed (make the open tone sound the same as the fretted tone). They should sound the same. Continue the same process for the other strings, noting that the 3 to 2 strings are 4-0, rather than 5-0.

Harmonics Method

Another comparative method is using harmonics. Harmonics are chime or bell like sounds which can be created on the guitar by lightly touching a single point on a string & plucking. The strongest harmonics are at fret 12 (the middle of the string). Other strong harmonics are 4, 5, 7, & 9, yet some guitars (depending on guitar quality & string freshness) can struggle to produce clear & strong harmonics at 4, 5, & 9. The 7's & 12's are typically always strong.

First, learn to play a harmonic: lightly touch (do not press to make fret contact) the string at a particular fret location (in this case 4's, 5's, & 7's) - then pluck. If you release the fretting hand just after plucking, the harmonic will resonate (vibrate) longer and louder, yet, you can leave the finger on, it will just dampen the sound, & make it decay faster.

How to tune a guitar using audio reference tones