How to Tune a Guitar

How to tune a guitar

There are three main ways to tune your guitar

1. An electronic tuner
2. Using harmonics to tune
3. Using open strings to tune

The electronic tuner

The most accurate way to tune your guitar. If on eisn't available, you need to be able to tune your guitar yourself.

As far as electronic tuners go, there are 2 basic kinds: electronic tuners for electric guitars and tuners for acoustic guitars.

The tuners for electric guitars have an input jack that you simply plug your guitar into, strike a string and you read the display that tells you how close to being in tune your string is.

If you want a tuner for an acoustic guitar, you should look for one that has an internal microphone in it. This can sometimes be troublesome because the microphones are very sensitive and they can pick up other noises. But nonetheless, buying an electronic tuner is well worth the investment. Nothing can turn an audience off or kill the mood of your masterpiece than a flat or sharp note.

Some tuners are small enough to keep in your gig bag or case. These are called onboard tuners and they just clamp right on to your guitar's headstock.

The Harmonics Tuning Method

This is the second most accurate method of tuning your guitar because you can actually hear the difference in sound waves. Check out the samples below and then look to see how you can learn this way of tuning.

Tuning a guitar with harmonics:

1. Place your index finger lightly above the metal just behind the 5th fret and pick it.
2. Now place your ring finger above the metal just behind the 7th fret on the next string down and pick it.
3. If you hear what sound like sound waves, the string are out of tune. If you don't and they sound like the same wave, the strings are in tune.

Listen below.

The Open String Tuning Method

This is the third most effective way to tune your guitar. It's probably the easiest to do but not as accurate as the other 2 ways. Here's how you do it:

1. Press the fifth fret of the 6th string (low E) and pick it.
2. Now pick the open A string. If they sound exactly the same they are in tune. If you hear a difference, they are out of tune.
3. Repeat with the other strings except the B to E. On the B string press the 4th fret.

Click which string you want to see and hear and then roll over the notes with your mouse to hear the note. Now go learn how to play open chords.