

New strings have the tendency to go flat the minute they’re put on a guitar, so stretching your strings will help remove some of the tension so your guitar will have a better chance of staying in tune. If you’re tuning with new strings for the first time, we recommend gently stretching each string before turning the tuning pegs on your guitar. Here’s a visual representation to help you tune by ear: It sounds very complicated, but it’s actually quite simple. Lastly, the reference pitch on the 2nd string is the E note found on the 5th fret. Here, you’ll play the 4th fret as a reference note of B for the second string. The reference note on the 3rd string is the only pitch that’s not located on the fifth fret. Now, you’ll do the same thing on the 4th string to tune the 3rd string to the G found on the 4th string’s 5th fret. Once the 5th string is tuned to A, play the D note on the 5th fret and tune the 4th string to that pitch. The pitch generated here will be the reference point for the 5th string. After your 6th string is tuned correctly, play the A note located on the 5th fret of the 6th string. These days, this is as easy as searching “tune to E guitar string” through a quick internet search. To do this, you’ll need an accurate pitch reference to tune to. It’s a good idea to tune slowly by moving the tuning pegs just a bit at a time.įor tuning by ear, first get your 6th string in tune. It’s extremely important to note here that tuning pegs are sensitive, and that cranking the pegs too quickly will result in broken strings. Typically, twisting the tuning peg in a counterclockwise fashion will tighten or sharpen the pitch, while moving it clockwise will have the opposite effect. How loose or tight each string is will determine the pitch of your string. Tuning pegs are adjustable devices that can tighten or loosen each string. Regardless of what method or device you choose to tune your guitar, you’ll need to adjust the tuning pegs positioned on the head of your guitar to get the job done.
TUNE THE GUITAR FREE
If you’re looking for an easier way to tune, feel free to skip ahead over this section. You shouldn’t attempt to tune your guitar by ear unless you have an ear strong enough to detect the difference between pitches. In order for the guitar to be tuned correctly, the 6th E string has to already be perfectly tuned before the rest of the strings can be tuned to it.
TUNE THE GUITAR HOW TO
Now that you know what pitches are found in standard tuning, we’re going to show you how to tune a guitar by ear.įor someone completely new to music, learning how to tune a guitar by ear can be really difficult.

If it’s helpful to you, try creating your own mnemonic acronym. Here are just a few examples:Įvery Amp Deserves Guitars Blistering Everyday There are lots of easy mnemonic acronyms for memorizing guitar string names. Starting with the thickest string on the guitar, which we’ll call the 6th string, the standard pitches of the open strings of the guitar are E, A, D, G, B, and E. Most guitar parts found in the songs in popular music feature standard tuning. This means that a guitar player can tune their guitar strings to any pitch they want and be “in tune.” What makes a guitar player in tune is them intentionally tuning and maintaining their guitar strings to a predetermined set of pitches. Many guitar players from different genres of music tune their guitar strings to alternative pitches to be able to play songs in different tunings. This doesn’t mean that guitars are only in tune when they’re tuned to standard tuning. Today we’re going to not only show you quick and easy methods for keeping your guitar in standard tuning, but also how to tune a guitar to some great alternative tunings as well.įor most guitar players, being “in tune” means having each of their guitar strings tuned to a standard set of pitches. But if a student can’t keep their guitar in tune, their instrument won’t be capable of producing even the simplest melodies, chords, and scales. The concept of pressing down strings hard enough to sustain pitches with one hand while strumming the strings with another hand comes naturally to most people, even young students. Without being properly tuned, a guitar cannot be played correctly.Ĭompared to other common instruments like the saxophone or even a drum set, the guitar is a relatively easy instrument to pick up. Why? For younger students especially, figuring out how to tune a guitar is a difficult skill that can be incredibly difficult to practice and master. Every year, millions of people set out to learn how to play the guitar, but sadly many of those people never fulfill their goal of learning how to play this incredible instrument.
