How To Tune A Guitar - Help & Advice

If you are wondering how to tune a guitar then you have come to the right place. A guitar can make a wonderful sound, but only if it is properly tuned. As guitar strings can go out of tune very quickly it is vital that you learn how to tune a guitar yourself. Tuning a guitar is not difficult, it just takes a little practice and skill.

There are many different ways to tune a guitar. There are also lots of different sounds you can get by tuning the guitar differently. We will first concentrate on how to tune a guitar to the standard key. Then we will look at different variations of tuning a guitar. It’s also important to make sure you have good guitar strings, if you are unsure what sort of strings you should be using you can find lots of helpful information here. When you have purchased your strings you then need to string your guitar up. Again if you are struggling there are some helpful tips for restringing a guitar here.

When it comes to tuning a guitar yourself there are a few methods you can use. The most simple method is using an electronic tuner. These are available to buy online and are not usually very expensive. These make tuning a lot easier and give a very accurate reading which means you get the string sounding just as you intend. Some amps have tuners built into them and this is another popular method when looking to tune a guitar.

If you are using an electric tuner then it’s pretty simple. Turn your tuner on and position it near the strings, or some tuners you actually attach to your guitar and they works by sensing the vibrations. Now pluck the string you wish to tune. You will be given a reading on your tuner telling you if you if the string is to tight or to loose. Now simply turn the tuning machine at the top of your guitar and this will alter the sound of the string. Just turn it until you find the correct sound that matches up on your electronic tuner.

Some people prefer not to tune a guitar with an electronic device. Or sometimes you may simply find yourself needing to tune your guitar with no device available. There is a way of doing this by ear. You start with the low E string. You first of all need to get this in tune. If your entire guitar is out of tune this can be a problem as you simply have to go by ear. But the low E is the least likely string to be out of tune as it’s the thickest so it tends to stay in tune the longest.

If you are happy that your low E is in tune then you can move your way down the rest of the strings. To tune the next string which is the A string or 5^th string, you simply place your finger on the top string 5^th fret. Now the two strings should sound the same. Adjust the A string until it sounds the same as the E string with your finger on fret 5. Now you have two strings in tune.

For the D string or 4^th string you repeat the process. Finger on fret 5 of the A string. Again the strings should sound the same, so adjust the D string till they match. Next up the G string or 3^rd string. Same again, on the D string place your finger on the 5^th fret and match the notes up. For the B or 2^nd string there is a difference! Take note of this one as it is important and where most people make an error. This time place your finger on the 4^th fret of the D string. Now match these two notes up. For the high E or 1^st sting you can go back to the original method. On the B sting you play on the 5^th fret and match the notes up.  To make this a little easier to understand there is a video over to the right of the screen that you can view.

When you have completed this simple method all the strings should be in tune. The obvious flaw to this method is that if your first string is slightly out, then all the rest will be. But if all the strings are in tune with the low E then the guitar will still make a good sound. This method takes a little practice and certain people will find it easier than others to master. But as long as you have a good ear you should be able to manage this form of tuning a guitar. This can be used for both acoustic and electric guitars.

Sometimes when you are playing a song and reading tabs or chords, you will see a message about the tuning. For example, it may read ‘play a full step down’. This means that you tune the guitar differently. Each note is one lower. This is a practice that certain bands and musicians use for many of their songs so it important to be aware of this. You also sometimes get songs where just one string is tuned either down or up. A common one is ‘dropped D’. This simply means that the top string is tuned to D rather than E. This again creates a slightly different sound from the guitar.

When it comes to tuning to different keys and sounds, some electronic tuners will have setting where you can select this and it will tell you how to tune the guitar. If you are doing it by ear it can be a little bit more difficult, but if you know where the notes are on the guitar it is something that you can easily learn.

Tuning a guitar is a very important lesson that must be learnt by anyone who plans on learning the instrument. Guitar strings will often go out of tune and this makes the guitar sound completely different, usually worse! So it is vital that every guitarist is capable of tuning their own guitar.