To play your guitar, it needs to be in tune. And it means that the guitar strings are on specific notes, so when you play them, they sound in harmony. But if your guitar is not in tune, the notes will sound out of place and discordant.
Luckily, guitar tuning is a relatively simple process. There are several ways to do it, but we’ll go over the most basic methods below.
Standard Guitar Tuning by Ear
Tuning your guitar can sometimes be a pain. But what if there was a way to tune your guitar without external devices? That’s right, below are steps to tune your guitar by ear in standard tuning!
Step 1: Get in Position
First, you need to get yourself and your guitar into position. Sit down with your guitar in your lap and ensure the guitar string you want to tune is facing up. You’ll also want a firm grip on the guitar neck to hold it steady while tuning.
Step 2: Play the Reference Note
Now that you’re in position, it’s time to start tuning. To tune guitar, you must…
- Pluck the low E string and then adjust the tuning peg until the note sounds like the same note with your reference.
- Do the same with the A string.
- Once both strings are in the correct pitch, it’s time to tune the D string.
- Pluck the D string and compare the sound to the A string. Adjust the tuning peg until the two notes sound exactly alike. Tune the G string by comparing it to the D string.
- Once the strings are in tune, your guitar should sound pretty good.
Step 3: Tune Your Guitar Strings
Now that you have your reference note, it’s time to start tuning the sixth string.
- Pluck the sixth string (the low E string).
- Turn the knob at the top of the acoustic guitar until the note you hear matches up with the reference note.
- Once they match up, give the guitar string a little slack so it’s not too tight.
- Now repeat this process for the rest of the strings.
Tune a Guitar with an Electronic Tuner
When your guitar is out of tune, it can ruin the sound of your whole performance. And nobody wants that! Luckily, tuning your guitar with an electronic tuner is quick and easy.
And so, follow these five simple steps to tune a guitar:
Step 1: Get Yourself an Electronic Tuner
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first step in tuning is getting yourself a tuner! They’re relatively inexpensive and easy to find if you don’t already have one.
You can usually find them at any music store or online. Once you have your tuner, make sure you charge the batteries and are ready to go.
Step 2: Select a Tuning Mode
Selecting the right tuning mode for your guitar can be challenging. But following these five steps should help you make the best choice for your playing style.
- Think about what type of music you want to play. Standard tuning is probably the best option if you’re mostly interested in rock or blues. But an alternate tuning is better for classical or fingerstyle pieces.
- Choose a tuning mode that will work best with your guitar’s tuning pegs. If your guitar has Wilkinson tuning pegs, then it’s likely that standard tuning will work best. For Schaller tuning pegs, either standard or drop tuning will likely be a good option.
- Start experimenting with different tunings. An excellent place to start is with a free online guitar tuner. This way, you can hear how other tunings sound on your guitar and see which one feels the most comfortable to play in.
- Consider the tension of your strings. Different tuning modes will require different string gauges. And so, it’s essential to choose a method that will work with the strings you have on your guitar.
Step 3: Tune Each String One at a Time
Here are five easy steps to tuning each string one at a time using an electronic tuner:
- Pluck the string then hold down the corresponding note on the fretboard using your fingers.
- Strike the tuning fork and place it near the microphone on the tuner.
- The tuning fork will vibrate and create a sound that the tuner will recognize.
- The tuner will then display what note you are playing.
- Turn the tuning peg until the needle on the tuner is in the green zone for that particular note.
On top of that, below is some of the order that you can do to tune your strings:
| String | Place |
| Low E String (thickest string) | Sixth String |
| A String | Fifth String |
| D String | Fourth String |
| G String | Third String |
| B String | Second String |
| High E String (thinnest string) | First String |
Tuning a Guitar With Another Guitar
Do you know that you can tune your guitar using another guitar? It’s true! Here’s how:
- Start by holding both guitars so that the heads are facing you. Make sure that the strings are at the same level.
- Pluck the string on the first guitar. While it’s still vibrating, pluck the corresponding string on the second guitar.
- If the two strings are in tune, they will produce a clear, ringing sound. Then, ty will make a dull, buzzy sound if they are out of tune.
- Repeat this process for each string until both guitars are in tune.
And that’s it! You’ve now tuned your guitar using another guitar as a reference.
Plus, now that you know how to tune a guitar with another guitar, you’ll be ready for any gig or practice session!