How to Tune a Guitar

Tuning a guitar can be a tedious task at times. Whether there's too much noise, or you simply don't have that good of an ear for music, there's always small factors that could hinder you from tuning your guitar correctly. There are many different tunings, and all require different techniques. the standard (EADGBe) tuning is the most common and easiest to learn.

Not only are there different tunings, but there's a bunch of different ways to achieve a single tuning. In regards to the standard tuning, there are three basic ways, that work great and are easy to learn.

You should always tune everything to the "A" string if possible. The "A" string on a guitar happens to be the most accurate note on the entire guitar, so that makes for a good starting point. Starting with your low "E" string, place your finger on the 5th fret. Pluck both the "E" string, and the "A" string simultaneously. Turn your tuning peg until both notes sound the same. Do the same for your "A", and "D" string. Place your finger on the 5th fret of your "A" string and tune the open "D" string to it. Do the same with your finger on the 5th fret of your "D" string as well. Once you get to your "G" string, place your finger on the 4th fret this time. Tune the open "B" string to the 4th fret on the "G" string. To tune the last high "e" string, place your finger on the 5th fret of your "B" string, and tune accordingly.

Another way to achieve proper standard tuning, is with harmonics. If you don't know how to do a harmonic, you simply need to pluck the string, and barely touch it with your other hand right over the actual metal fret on either the 5th or 7th fret. To achieve a harmonic you have to make sure you don't press the string into the fret, and actually just touch the string, right over the metal fret, not in between. To tune using harmonics, you need to know that a harmonic on the low "E" string at the 5th fret, should produce the same note as a 7th fret harmonic on the "A" string. You can use this method all the way down to your "G" string, but for the "B" and high "e" string, this will not work. You can tune the high "e" to the "B" with harmonics, but you need to revert back to the aforementioned method for tuning your "B" string with the other strings. Harmonic tuning generally produces a more "in tune" sound. Harmonic tuning is probably the most accurate tuning your going to get.

The third way to tune your guitar, is great for getting guitars in tune, that simply don't sound in tune using the other methods mentioned in this article. If a guitar needs new strings, a lot of the time, the older strings are stretched out so much, that using other tuning methods simply leaves you with a guitar that's in tune when you're tuning it using the first method, but when you make a chord, it sounds all wrong. This can also happen if your neck is bent a little bit, or if your guitar has set outside in your car in either hot or cold weather, or a mix of the two. To tune your guitar in this manner, you need to understand the guitar, and what notes are where. If a guitar is in tune, for instance, the open "E" string produces an "E" note, and also, the 2nd fret on the "D" string, should also be an "E". Place your finger on the 2nd fret of the "D" string, and pluck the open "E" string simultaneously. Tune your "E" string to your "A" string first, using the first method of tuning, to achieve proper tuning for your entire guitar. Once you have your "D" string 2nd fret, tuned to your open "E" string, move on down the row. Place a finger on the 2nd fret of the "G" string, and tune it to your open "A" string. Once you get to your "D" string, place your finger on the 3rd fret of the "B" string and tune it accordingly. For your "G" string, tune your high "e" string, 3rd fret, to the open "G". Once you have it all tuned up, you should notice that your guitar, which seemed untuneable before, is now in tune when you place your basic chords.

For those of you out there, who don't have a developed ear yet, I would suggest purchasing an electronic guitar tuner. These devices, (Such as the Intellitouch PT-1) work great for those of you who can't hear every little change of a note. You pluck a string, it displays what note it is, and whether or not the note is in tune. There's generally an indicator, that tells you how far off you are on a note. Tuners, don't generally tell you which way to go as far as what note for what string, so just remember, standard tuning is EADGBe.