Here’s how to tune a guitar correctly, and the easy way. Every beginner needs to learn about this regular maintenance activity. Here are easy and effective online tuning tips to help you learn to do this on your own.
Why is it Important to Tune Your Guitar?
Have you got yourself a guitar recently? I know it can be a great feeling, and you would be itching to get started with the guitar lessons.
But, besides the playing part, you should also learn how to tune your guitar. A guitar needs to be tuned regularly as the strings are sensitive to changes in the environment.
It is important so that the guitar produces the correct notes when you play them. If the guitar is not in tune, then even if you play the right notes, the guitar will not play the correct notes because it is out of tune.
And as a beginner, you may not realize that the guitar is playing the wrong notes (out of tune) unless you are familiar with the song that you’re playing.
Hence it is very important to tune your guitar, and that too correctly.
How to Tune an Acoustic Guitar
If you have recently bought yourself an acoustic guitar, then you will have to bring yourself up to speed so that you can tune it all by yourself. This is one of those maintenance activities that you’ll need to regularly do on your guitar.
There are few who can tune the guitar by ear, and there are some who use a guitar tuner to help them, but here are the steps that are involved in case you want to tune an acoustic guitar.
Guitars tend to go out of tune quickly, especially if it’s a budget one. The common maintenance activities associated with any stringed instruments are:
- Tuning the instrument
- Changing the Strings
Every musical instrument requires occasional tuning so that it sounds good when you play it, same is the case with a guitar. Now, you wouldn’t want to sound out of tune, do you? So make sure that you tune your guitar to enjoy good melodious music.
If you have just started learning to play the guitar or intend to start soon, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with these tasks.
You can easily get it done at the shop or ask your friends to do it in the beginning, but from a long term perspective it is better if you know how to do it.
There are several methods that you can use; some of which can look daunting initially, but then there are the easy methods as well such as using an electronic tune.
So how do you tune a guitar?
Here are the basic steps to tune a guitar for standard tuning, the strings will need to be tuned to the following notes:
- E – the thickest and lowest sounding string is known as the 6th string
- A – the 5th string
- D – the 4th string
- G – the 3rd string
- B – the 2nd string
- E – the thinnest sounding string is known as the 1st string
You should try getting familiar to the sound of the E chord, or if needed get some reference so that you know how it should sound.
- So assuming that the high E string is already tuned correctly, tune the B string so that it has the same pitch at the fifth fret, as the open E string does.
- Now you have to repeat this step for the rest of the strings, except for one deviation.
- You need to remember to use the fourth fret when tuning the G string to the open B string.
In case you think it is still hard, here’s a nice video that shows you how to do this task.
If you still find that it is difficult, get yourself an electronic tuner and save yourself all the hassle. You can get it for less than 10 bucks nowadays. But in case you want to learn how to tune an acoustic guitar, this is how you do it.
Is there any easier way to tune the guitar?
There are a few approaches that you could take, in case you want to get your guitar tuned.
- Use an online guitar tuner; there are many free software that will help you out
- Tune it by ear. This requires you to take the help of other instruments such as keyboards/piano. You play the notes there, and try to tune your guitar by ear.
- Use a good electronic guitar tuner. This is the best option as these are compact, handy, and these are available for as little as 10 bucks.
Tuning The Guitar
There are times when nothing sounds good on the guitar and we often blame it on the guitar, however the real reason for it is the tuning. Once you tune the guitar, you will find that it plays beautifully and in tune. Hence, tuning the guitar is very important. You don’t have to tune the guitar very often, if it is of a good make and expensive but if you use the guitar very regularly on a daily basis, then it is best if you tune it before you start to play.
Reference Pitch
Before you start tuning your guitar, you need a reference pitch from some other source such as some other guitar, piano or even a tuning fork etc. Once the reference pitch is set, tuning the guitar can be done based on that note. You can also tune your guitar without a reference pitch and it will sound fine but once you play it with other instruments, it may sound out of tune, thus the need for reference pitch.
Tune Strings
Once the reference pitch is tuned, you can proceed to tune the other strings on the basis of the reference pitch. A guitar has six strings each of which has an individual pitch. These strings are referred as E (mi), A (la), D (re), G(sol), B (si) and E (mi), and most popularly known as 6,5,4,3,2 and 1 from top to bottom.
- After tuning the sixth string to A (la), play the sixth string, fifth fret (A) and then tune your open fifth string (A) till they both sound the same.
- Similarly, with the next string, play the fifth string, fifth fret (D), tune your open fourth string and likewise for all the other strings.
After you have finished tuning the guitar, you can check it by lightly touching the fifth string directly above the fifth fret but make sure that you don’t press the string to the fingerboard. If the sound produced is in tune with your reference pitch, your guitar is in tune, if not then you will have to repeat the whole tuning process again.
Apart from the standard tuning which is mentioned above, there is something called as alternative tuning. It refers to any open string note arrangement apart from standard tuning. Even though the standard tuning process is accepted all over the world, there are some musicians who opt for alternative tuning method.
Most guitars are designed for standard tuning hence an alternative tuning would require restringing of the guitar with strings of a different gauge. Alternative tunings change the chord shapes connected to the standard tuning because of which some chords become very difficult to play whereas some others become relatively easier.
Other Types of Tuning
There were many other types of tunings such as:
- Open Tunings: Open tuning in a guitar is when the strings are tuned in such a way that you achieve the chord without pressing any of the strings. Open tunings are commonly used for blues, rock and folk music.
- Dropped Tunings: In dropped tuning, the sixth string of the guitar is tuned a bit low in comparison to the other strings, mostly by 1 step.
- Modal Tunings: The chords are tuned in such a way that it is not major or minor in modal tunings. These tunings create unique sounds and facilitate very easy chords.
Tuning the bottom ‘E’ to ‘D’
Is it okay to tune the bottom ‘E’ string of your guitar further down to ‘D’?
This is one question that many novices ask. But before answering that, why should somebody try to do that?
More experienced guitar players and those interested in playing metal feel that doing so gives the guitar a heavier, metal crunch sound.
However, is this something that you should try out? Is it a common thing with guitar players?
Well, the fact is that tuning the guitar further down to ‘D’ (from ‘E’) is quite common among metal guitarists, because of the heavier tone it generates. You can always give it a try, it all depends on what kind of music you’re into.
Guitar Tuning Equipment
As mentioned, you can save yourself a lot of hassle if you make use of an electronic / digital guitar tuner.
You can read more here on:
Online guitar tuners, which are freely available for use; you would however need a computer and internet connection to access it. You can tune your bass or guitar to any tuning using these.
Read reviews of more guitar tuners here.
Some of them are very cheap and even clip-on to the guitar; so it is always there in case you want to adjust the tuning of any string/s.
Using an Online Guitar Tuner
Here’s a cool online guitar tuner to help you with the tuning process. All teachers stress on the importance of tuning your guitar before playing / practicing. In case you are a beginner and find it to be cumbersome, here’s an easy way to do it.
There are various online tools available that can help you out with the tuning process.
Some require you to feed the guitar sound through a microphone to the computer, whereas some just play the right frequencies for each of the strings, and you are supposed to hear that frequency and tune your guitar by ear.
How to Use the Online Guitar Tuner
The above video shows an easy to use guitar tuner. So how do you use the above tool?
It’s quite easy actually. Here are the steps that you need to follow / remember.
- You will need to install the latest Adobe Flash Player.
- Use the above tool for accurate results.
- Click on each individual string to hear the frequency at which that particular string on the guitar should be tuned at.
- Do that for each of the strings. You can also have the tuner automatically advance through the string by clicking on the auto advance button.
Over a period of time, your ears will get better at hearing the various sounds and you’ll be able to do it much faster. You can read more on the basic fundamentals of tuning so that you can keep your guitar strings in good shape.
Remember to always tune your guitar before playing, even if you’re only practicing. Its easy now using this online guitar tuner.
To Conclude
Whether you own an electric, acoustic, or classical guitar, it will need tuning; nylon strings probably may take longer to stretch and tune. But irrespective, it is best to not be dependent on others to do this task as guitars go out of tune regularly. Like every musical instrument need occasional tweaking, guitar too needs regular tuning. You can use the standard tuning which is universally accepted all across the world today to tune your guitar. Before tuning however, setting a reference pitch is important but not necessary. Apart from the standard tuning, you also have alternative tuning, open tuning, dropped and modal tuning which you can try basis the type of guitar you have. The important thing while you tune your guitar is that you listen to pitches carefully and with practice you will learn to fine tune it. That is why you need to learn how to tune a guitar correctly.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
Leave a Reply