6 Simple Steps to Tune Your Guitar

Sep 2, 2015

Whether you pick up a guitar for fame and riches, or just for your own musical amusement, nothing is more frustrating when learning than the persistent thought that you just can’t play anything that sounds good. A big reason for why your early playing might not be so melodically satisfying is the simple fact that it can often take a long time to learn, and then master many techniques. That being said, another major reason for why new guitarists don’t sound very good is that they are playing instruments that are out of tune. Those just starting their guitar lessons with a little sending money might be tempted to take the easy route and buy an auto-tuner. Although these little gadgets are certainly handy and take pretty much all of the work out of tuning your guitar, knowing how to tune your instrument by ear is an important first step on the road to mastering the guitar. This week we’re going to take you through an easy, step-by-step process to tune your guitar in a snap by correctly tuning one sting, and then using it as a reference for the other five. The beauty of this simple method is that if you ever find yourself without a tuner, or a reference note, you’ll still be able to tune it fairly well: you can still play a guitar in tune with itself.

Before you begin: know your strings and your tuning keys.

On a standard six-string guitar there are two E strings. Low E (or bottom E) is the thickest string, and is at the top. High E (or top E) is the thinnest and is at the bottom. Between, from top to bottom, are A, D, G, & B. Follow each of the strings to the guitar head and take care to note which key is for which string. Make sure you know which direction tightens, and which direction loosens. Loosening a string will make the pitch lower, while tightening brings it higher. Be careful when tightening though, because over tightening can cause a string to break, which can be a bit of a shock.

Step 1: Tune the low E string.

This is the string that you will be using as a reference to tune the other five, so it is important to get it as close as you can. The low E is the best string to use for this because its thickness keeps it from coming out of tune as easily as the others. You’re going to want to find a way to listen to an E note. There are a few ways of doing this, like using a properly tuned piano, a tuning fork, or even a recording found on the internet. As you listen to the note, pluck the low E string on your guitar. By tightening or loosening the string appropriately, change the pitch of the low E string until it matches your reference note. You’ll be able to hear a wavering effect to the combined sounds of the notes when your guitar is only slightly out of tune. This is called “dissonance” and is a way to tell when you are close. As you come closer to properly tuned, the wavering will slow down until it disappears. When this happens, you’re done. If it starts again, you’ve gone too far in the other direction.

Again, keep in mind, if you find yourself unable to listen to a reference E note, just tune your low E string as closely as you can by ear. As long as your guitar is in tune with itself it will sound okay.

Step 2: Tune the A string.

Now that you’ve got your low E string in tune, you can use it as your reference note to tune the rest of your strings, starting with the next one down, A. Begin by pressing down on the fifth fret of the low E string that you just tuned, and pluck. The note you just heard was A, and is referred to as the fifth fretted low E string, and can be used as the reference note to tune your A string. Just like you did with the low E string, compare the pitch of your plucked A string to that of the fifth fretted low E string, and adjust the tuning key accordingly until you no longer hear any dissonance.

Step 3: Tune the D string

Just as before, pluck the D string and compare its pitch to the fifth fretted A string this time. Pluck each one in turn as you turn the turning keys, and then simultaneously to listen for dissonance.

Step 4: Tune the G string.

Once again, compare the pitch produced by a pluck of your G string with a pluck of the fifth fretted D string. Tune the G string to the fifth fretted D pitch.

Step 5: Tune the B string.

This time things are changed up just a bit. Rather than using the fifth fretted G string as a reference for your B string, instead you’ll use the fourth fretted G string. This is the only string that uses the fourth fret, and if you can remember this, you’ll always be able to tune your guitar.

Step 6: Tune the high E string.

And lastly, tune your high E string with the fifth (again) fretted B string as a reference. Be especially careful when tightening this string, because as the thinnest it is most easily broken.

Some people like to go back and re-tune the low E string at this point, because as you tightened all the other strings, the tension on the neck has increased, and may have altered the pitch of your first string. But this last step is more of a personal choice, so you’re pretty much done!

Tips and tricks.

Now that you know how to tune your guitar all by yourself it’s time to take a moment and go over a few easy tips and tricks. First, it’s important to know how often to tune your guitar. This depends a little on the quality of your guitar, as higher end instruments will hold their tune longer, while cheaper ones fall out of tune more easily. However, that being said, it isn’t a bad idea to give your guitar a quick tune each time you pick it up. This will ensure that your pitches always sound right. Always make sure it is in tune before you play, and keep an ear on it while you practice, because the act of playing can cause the string to come slightly out of tune. Once you get the hang of it, this will be a quick, 30 second thing you do every time you pick up your guitar to play.

One more quick tip: you may find it a bit easier to tune each string if you start by loosening the string to flatten the note, then steadily tighten it to come up to the proper pitch. Sometimes strings have a habit of “sticking” where they slide over the tuning nut, and will seem like they are in tune, but only until they suddenly let go and slip flat. By starting flat and coming up to the pitch you avoid this little problem.

So there you have it, pretty simple, right? Now tune that thing up right, and get to jamming!