Tune a Guitar

If you want to be a guitar god, you need to have a properly tuned guitar. While there are electric tuners to make the job effortless, a good musician must know how to tune his own instrument in a pinch by correctly tuning one string and then using it as a reference point for all the others. No matter what your tools, you can tune your guitar all by yourself easily.

Steps

Tuning Without a Tuner

  1. Know which note is assigned to each string on the guitar. You'll need to know which string is which to tune them correctly. Guitars have six strings that count from the bottom up -- so the thinnest string is your first string (an E) and the thickest string is your sixth string (also an E). The strings, in order from first to sixth, should be tuned to the following notes:
    • e (thinnest string)
    • B
    • G
    • D
    • A
    • E (thickest string)
  2. Know the correct tuning pegs for each string. Follow a string all the way up the neck to find it's associated tuning peg. Pluck the string and turn the tuning peg to make the pitch go up (clockwise) or force it to go down (counterclockwise). Turn each peg smoothly and slowly, getting used to applying constant pressure in both directions.
    • You may have to turn the pegs the opposite direction if your guitar was improperly strung. However, any professional stringing will follow the above system.
  3. Tune the low-E (6th string) to a tuner, guide, or piano. This is the string you will use as a reference for the other five strings. To get it right, pull up a YouTube clip of a "Guitar Low-E" and match the note you hear to your guitar. You can also get another instrumentalist, like a piano, to play an E, then match the notes. Slowly turn the tuning peg, plucking the string for reference, until the notes match.
    • Find a way to listen to an E note. This can be done using a (properly tuned) piano, a pitch pipe, a tuning fork, or a recorded E note found on the web as a .wav or .mp3 file.
    • When the string is slightly out of tune, the E from the guitar will combine with the E from the sound source (i.e. piano), and cause the sound to "waver" in pitch. This is dissonance. As you tighten the guitar string, you should hear this wavering slow down; the two strings are in tune if the wavering has stopped. If you go too far, the wavering will increase again.
  4. Tune the A string to the 5th fret of the E string. Now that you have correctly tuned the bottom-E string, you can use it to tune the next string over. Place your finger on the 5th fret of the thickest string, then pluck. This note is the exact same A you need from the string below it. Holding the 6th string down, match it to the open 5th string to tune the A.
    • Playing the two strings at the exact same time is a good way to check for dissonance, and if the A note is matched up.
  5. Tune the D string to the 5th fret of the A string. This is the same system as the one used above. Play the open D string, the 4th string, and tune it to the 5th string, 5th fret note, which is another D.
  6. Tune the G string to the fifth-fretted D string. Keep moving down the guitar the same way you tuned the first three strings. Note, however, that the next string must be taken somewhat differently. Don't stop paying attention now -- the B is the only different string!
  7. Tune the B string to the 4th fretted G string. The B string (second string from the bottom) is slightly different -- it tunes to the 4th fret of the G string, not the 5th. This is the only exception across the guitar in standard tuning. Pluck the B string and compare it to the sound of the 4th-fretted G string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously, checking for that dissonance that means they are out of tune.
  8. Tune the high-E string to the 5th fretted B string. Returning to your old pattern, hold the 5th fret of the 2nd string to get an E. This note is identical to the correctly tuned E string, the thinnest, smallest string. This string should be an identical note, though higher pitched, as the top string, as well -- the are both E. You can use this similarity to check your work by comparing the top and bottom strings.
    • Be very careful when tightening this string as it can break easily. Tune it slowly.
  9. Know that, if these are new strings, you'll need to retune a few times. Strings actually stretch when placed on the guitar. The note on a string is determined by it's length, thus why fretting changes the note -- it essentially "cuts" the string at that point. But as strings stretch they get longer, meaning they pull out of tune. After retuning 3-4 times, they should be fully stretched and ready to play.

Using Different Tuning Methods

  1. Purchase a chromatic tuner. If you really want to play guitar professionally, you'll need to get perfect tuning. This is only possible, really, with a high-quality chromatic tuner. This is one case where spending a bit more money is really worth it -- the more precise it is, the better your guitar will sound and stay in tune.Some tuners have microphones, and some are clipped on to the headstock to measure vibrations. When placed properly, the vibration sensing tuners can be more precise, as they don't pick up background noises.
    • To use one, simply turn the tuner on and play a note. It will pick up the note and tell you if it is sharp or flat automatically.
    • Remember -- from top to bottom your strings are E-A-D-G-B-e.
  2. Use free online apps and videos to tune guitars. You can find plenty of videos online that simply strum each perfectly tuned note for you, allowing you to compare easily to the pitch on your guitar. Play the note on the computer, then tun the guitar, continuing to play along and tune until the notes sound identical.
  3. Tune the guitar to itself harmonically. Harmonic tuning is more accurate and easier for some people to hear. To do it, compare the harmonic on the fifth fret of one string to that of the seventh fret of a higher string. To play a harmonic, lightly touch the string directly above the fret and let it go as you pluck the string -- you should get a high, clear note ringing out. Another advantage of harmonic tuning is that both strings will continue to ring as you let go of the neck to adjust the tuning pegs.
    • Note: this doesn't work for the second (B) string. To tune the second string using harmonics, play the harmonic of the seventh fret on the sixth string and play the second sting open. The harmonic pitch of the fifth fret of the sixth string is the same as the first string played open.
  4. Use tuning forks. Start by tuning the A note of the fifth fret of the first string to the standard A440 reference pitch of tuning fork by adjusting the string tension. Second, tune the E note at the fifth fret of the second string to the E note of the first open string by adjusting second string tension using an electronic tuner to help move note pitch to reference pitch. Third, tune the open third string to the G note at the third fret of the first string by adjusting tension of third string. Next tune the fourth open string to the D note at the third fret of the second string by adjusting fourth string tension. Next tune the fifth open string to the A note of the A440 tuning fork pitch by adjusting tension of fifth string. Last, tune the sixth open string note to the E note of the first open string by adjusting sixth string tension. If your commercial chromatic electronic tuner is not properly calibrated to the chromatic musical scale, this is likely the best way to tune string tensions. Do not use a low cost electronic tuner; they are off from the guitar fret locations; use a A440 pitch tuning fork to tune all the four A notes from nut to fifth fret instead.[1]



Tips

  • You will find it easier to tune each string if you loosen the string to flatten the note, then increase the tension to come up to pitch. Some of the strings have a tendency to "stick" where they slide over the nut, and will be in tune until they suddenly slip flat. By coming up to pitch, this tendency is avoided. You can also lubricate the slot in the nut with graphite (pencil lead) and it will help to avoid sticking during tuning.
  • After tuning, make sure the G string and the G at the eighth fret of the B string sound the same (other than being an octave apart, obviously). These two notes being slightly out of tune is a common problem and will make chords sound very bad. It's better to have the E and B strings a little bit flat relative to the low E string than to have the G string sound out of tune with the E and B strings.
  • If you have a microphone on your computer, you can use online tuners, instead of buying a real life one. Avoid using electronic tuners; this old fashioned method of tuning by ear seems best.
  • After tuning all strings from the 6th to the 1st, check the 6th string pitch again. Most probably it will go out of tune because you changed strings tension and the neck changed its shape, making all strings shorter or longer. This is especially the case for acoustic guitars. If this happened, tune your guitar again.
  • If you don't have access to a piano, keyboard, or tuner, pick up your phone! In the US, standard dial tone is an F.
  • A more accurate and easier way of tuning the open string notes is the use the fifth fret harmonic pitch and the fifth fret note. First tune the A note of the fifth open string by adjusting string tension using an A440 tuning fork as a reference pitch. Play the D note of the fifth fret of fifth string, and make the harmonic pitch as the D note over the fifth fret of fourth string the same pitch as the D note at fifth fret of fifth string by adjusting tension of fourth string. Do the same for the other strings.
  • If you are tuning a bass guitar, the layout is the same. The difference is a bass guitar doesn't have a B and high E string.
  • If you have trouble remembering the notes for the strings, think, "Every Afternoon Dad Goes, Buys Eggplants" or "Every American Dog Growls Before Eating" (going from low E to high E) or “Every Body Gets Dinner At Eight’ (going from high E to low E).
  • Tune your guitar every time you use it. Playing can make your guitar go out of tune, especially if you have a cheap guitar or old, cheap strings or if you use tremolo a lot.

Warnings

  • This is not the case with all guitars. Guitars that have "fanned frets" use different scale lengths for each string and are called Novax guitars.
  • If you begin tuning with the higher E string [the thinnest string on the guitar] instead of the thicker, lower E string, you're more likely to break a string in tuning, especially if your strings are old or the guitar has not been tuned in a while. Be sure to keep your face away from the fretboard to avoid being injured by broken strings!
  • There are a few countries left that do not use the standard A440; do your research just in case.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/basic-tuning/page6.php
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