How To Tune Your Guitar

You just bought a new guitar or had just changed to a new set of strings. Before starting to play some tune, you will need to get it in tune. It is good to get your guitar in tune before every playing session. I also always advised my students to check and tune the instrument before every practice, it will help to train your ears to know the sound of a correct tone. Here are some ways to tune your guitar.

The open strings of the guitar are as follows. 

Starting from the left on the fretboard

• 6^th String: Low E
• 5^th String: A
• 4^th String: D
• 3^rd String: G
• 2^nd String: B
• 1^st String:  High E

 

Using Electronic Tuner

One of the easiest and most accurate ways is to use an electronic Tuner. This is also the method I prefer the most. There are many brand and model of tuner available online and also in your local music store. Most aren’t that expensive and will make your life easier.

In the past, there is a type of the tuner has a small “microphone” (like a portable voice recorder) which detects the sound and show on tuner after you plucked the strings. Now most of electronic tuner comes as a clip-on type which has sensors at clip end which detect the vibration and show on tuner.

There is also some tuner that produces a tone and you tune your guitar to match that tone.

I will recommend the clip-on type as it much easier to use and most of the newer model of clip-on tuner is also compact in size which shouldn’t have a problem keeping one in your guitar bag. And I even have them in almost every guitar bag. Just make sure to get one that is made to tune guitar or a chromatic tuner which can be used to tune different notes. To use the tuner is pretty easy, your just clip the tuner on the headstock and pluck the strings. It will show the note you are playing and you use the tuning pegs to get to the desired note.

 

Some models are multi-function which also has a metronome function.

 

Refer to the tuner manual or user guide on how to operate the model of tuner you have.

You can get a tuner at my online store Here at Shop@H-Cave.com.
Shipping within Singapore only.

If you do not have an electronic tuner with you due to whatever reason, do not worry as there are other methods to tune you guitar. Some of methods are as follow.

 

Using Piano Tuning Method

You can use a piano or keyboard (not the keyboard of your computer) to tune your guitar. Refer to diagram below to match the notes of the piano with that of your ukulele.

 

Using Pitch Pipe

The pitch-pipe gives you the pitch for each of the 6 strings of the guitar. Nowadays not many use this to tune their guitar. Especially since now electronic tuner are relatively affordable.

 

Using “Relative” Tuning Method

For this method, you tune the strings relative to each other, i.e. with reference to the other string. This method isn’t that accurate as if the first string you use as reference is out of tune, all of them will be out. It fine if you are playing on your own but will cause issues if you are playing with other people or along with songs.

This may take some practice to train your ear. For the below example, I am using the 6^th string (Low E) as the first reference string. As it the thickest strings, it’s the least likely to detune itself than any of the others. You can also use the piano/keyboard or the pitch-pipe to tune the 6^th string before carrying out the method below.

Here are the steps.

1) Play the 5^th fret of the 6^th string (which is an A note) and the open 5^th string (A). Tune the peg of 5^th string until they sound the same.

 2) Play the 5^th fret of the 5^th string (which is a D note) and the open 4^th string (D). Tune the peg of 4^th string until they sound the same.

 3) Play the 5^th fret of the 4^th string (which is a G note) and the open 3^rd string (G). Tune the peg of 3^rd string until they sound the same.

 4) Play the 4^th fret of the 3^rd string (which is a B note) and the open 2^nd string (B). Tune the peg of 2^nd string until they sound the same.

 5) Play the 5^th fret of the 2^nd string (which is an E note) and the open 1^st string (E). Tune the peg of 1^st string until they sound the same.

 

Other Tuning Method

The other method of tuning is by using Tuning Fork. Commonly use is the A-440 tuning fork. Which it offer a “A” pitch which vibrates at 440 cycles per second.
To tune using a A-440 tuning fork, firstly tap it on a soft surface (e.g. kneecap) and press the bottom end (i.e. ball end) to the body of the guitar to hear the note. Or against something that resonates, e.g. tabletop. You can hold it up to your ear. Then start tuning the 5^th string which is an A-string. Then use the relative tuning method to tune the 4^th to 1^st string.
After which you can tune the 6^th string by either matching the sound with 1^st string, or a better option is match the sound of 6^th string with 7^th fret of 5^th string which is also an A-note.

The other method is using Harmonics playing method. This is a method sometime use by more advance player.

 

Still can’t get it in tune?

The strings may not put on correctly or it times to replace a new set of strings. A new set of strings also need some time to settle down as you may notice it will get out of tune again pretty fast. And remember to always check is your guitar in tune before every practice session.

Enjoy playing and have fun.