Everyone who is learning guitar needs to know how to tune the guitar. This article has some great information on guitar tuning. Enjoy!
How to Tune A Guitar
Guitar tuning explained! If you have a guitar sitting around the house that you don’t play, today is the day to pick it up and start playing!
Tuning is the most important thing you will have to learn. Even simple music sounds good when you guitar is in tune, but if the guitar is out of tune everything played on it will sound unpleasant. Be patient when you first tune your guitar; the more you do it the easier it becomes.
Find somewhere quiet where you will not be overheard or distracted when you tune your guitar. You will need either a Guitar Pitch Pipe, a E Tuning Fork or another instrument or reference tone. If you don’t have all the references tones on your instrument or device – the guitar can always be tuned to itself.
Pitch Pipes, E Tuning Forks, Guitar Tuners and even some mobile phones have reference tones to tune the guitar to.
A piano or organ will also give you the note you need. Use the note E just about middle C in the middle of the keyboard. An organ gives a perfect note if you turn off the Vibrato and other effects. You can also get the E Note from just about any other instrument!You may also want to use this free online guitar tuner. As well many digital phones and mobile devices have notes or tones you can tune to.
The note E on a Pitch Pipe, Tuning Fork or other instrument or device will not always sound the same as your first string because each device or instrument has a different tone – however the pitch is always the same. Match the sounds as closely as possible when you are tuning.
Each string is tuned by gently turning it tuning peg, a little at a time. Turning it one way slackens the string and makes it sound lower. Be careful when tightening however as you might break the string! Hold each tuning peg between your thumb and 1st finger and make sure you turn the correct peg for each string.
- Tuning the 1st string. Blow your High E pitch pip evenly, or play the note E on the tuning fork or other instrument. While the note sounds pluck the first string. (Pluck with a left hand finger if you use a tuning fork.) If the first string sounds higher than the E, slacken it a little. A quater turn at a time is best.
If you are not sure whether it is higher or lower, leave it as it is and listen again – first play the note and then the string. If you are still not sure, slacken the string a little. If the string sounds more out of tune you are going the wrong way and should tighten it instead.
Continue to adjust your 1st string a little at a time, until it sounds neither higher nor lower than the note E on the pitch pipe, tuning fork or other device. Then your first string should be in tune.
- Tuning the 2nd string. Press the 2nd string just behind the 5th fret with the tip of the left hand 2nd finger, and keep it there. Play the 1st string twice, wait a moment and then play the 2nd string. If the 2nd string sounds higher, turn its tuning peg a little to slacken it. If it sounds lower, tighten it a little and compare the strings again. (Play the 1st string first.) Continue tuning the 2nd string (with your finger behind the 5th fret) until it sounds the same as the 1st open string.
- Press the 3rd string behind the fourth fret with your 2nd finger. Play the 2nd string twice, then play the 3rd string. Keep fingering the 3rd string at the 4th fret, and tune it a little at a time, until it sounds the same as the 2nd string open.
- Press the 4th string behind the fifth fret, and gently tune it until it sound the same as the 3rd string open.
- Press the 5th string behind the 5th fret, and gently tune it until it sound the same as the 3rd string open.
- Press the 6th string behind the 5th fret, and gently tune it until it sounds the same as the 5th string open.
Your guitar should now be in tune now, if it isn’t go back and start from the beginning or adjust each string accordingly.
By Tommy O’Neil
Published: 3/1/2008
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It attaches under your guitar’s volume knob and lights up to the appropriate key when you’re in pitch. I suggest you tune guitar with the tuner and memorize how first string sounds. This will help you a lot, especially in the beginning.
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