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Guitar - How to Get Started
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Buying a Guitar
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The 15 "Must-Know" Chords
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Holding the Guitar - Hand Positions
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How to Care For Your Guitar
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Tuning Your Guitar
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History of the Guitar
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Changing Your Strings
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Special Offer
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Guitar - How to Get Started
- Tuning Your Guitar -
Tuning your guitar is a learned skill. You learn what it sounds like to be in tune. Unfortunately, beginners can get easily frustrated trying to tune their guitars.
The best method is the guitar tuner. Even seasoned professionals use guitar tuners. Remember that if we have a cold or it is noisy, we can't always hear properly.
For example, when your "Top E" string breaks, it means your thinnest string (the 1st string) has broken.
You must learn the names of your guitar strings. From the thickest to the thinnest it is: E (6th string), A (5th string), D (4th string), G (3rd string), B (2nd string), E (1st string). You'll need to know this to properly use a guitar tuner or keyboard.
You'll also need to know this when playing with other musicians and you are tuning with each other and finally when you go to the music store to purchase a replacement for a broken string.
When your guitar is flat (b) it means that the string sounds lower than the in tune sound, so the string must be tightened. When the string is sharp (#) it means that the string is sounding higher than the correct pitch of the note and the string must be loosened.
Electronic Guitar Tuner:The simplest and most effective way to tune your guitar is to purchase a guitar tuner. Even the least expensive tuner is quick, quiet and accurate and can tune electric, acoustic (classical and steel string) and both electric and acoustic 12-string guitars.
At the beginner stage, there is absolutely no reason to purchase a high-end chromatic tuner although, if it is within your budget, a hands-free tuner that recognizes the string you are tuning is well worth the few extra dollars. Have your guitar with you and ask the sales person at the music store to show you how to use the tuner.
Tips On Using An Electronic Tuner:
A guitar pitch pipe is a handy way to have reference notes to tune your guitar if there is no guitar tuner or piano available. Each guitar string has a corresponding note on the guitar pitch pipe.
Tuning The Guitar To Itself
By placing your fingers on the 5th fret, it is also possible to tune your guitar to itself. The reason that this works is that there is more than one way to play any given note on a guitar.
So when you press your finger just behind the 5th fret on the 6th string, that note is "A". The 5th string open (open is when you play the string without any left hand fingers pressing down) the note is also "A". Therefore, both "A's" must sound identical.
Not all of the strings are pressed down at the same time as it appears in the diagram. Tune the strings in pairs. For example: to tune the "B" string, press a finger just behind the 4th fret on the 3rd string and also play the 2nd string open.
Using a Tuning Fork
A tuning fork will give you a reference starting note such as “A” or “E”. From there you would tune the guitar to itself or harmonically.
Using a Piano or Keyboard
Tuning Harmonically
Harmonics are the “overtones” that give any instrument it’s tone. You can use the natural harmonics on the guitar as a method of tuning the guitar. These harmonics are located most dominantly at the 12th fret, 5th fret and 7th fret.
To play the harmonic, touch the string directly above the fret with a finger on your left hand and pick the string with your right hand. While the harmonic is “pinging” you can move your left hand away. Touch the 6th string directly above the 5th fret. Do not press the string down. Just use the fleshy part of your fingertip to touch above the 5th fret. Pick the string. You should hear the harmonic which is a clear “ping.” While the “ping” is ringing, touch the 5th string directly above the 7th fret to hear that harmonic “ping.”
Both notes should sound the same. If you hear a beat you need to tighten the 5th string tuning head (assuming that the 6th string is in tune). As you get closer to the two strings being in tune with each other, the “beat” will slow down. If it gets faster you are further away from being in tune.
The objective is to get the beat between notes slower and slower until it stops. When there is no more beat, the 6th and 5th strings are in tune with each other. Repeat this process with the 5th and 4th string.
Touch the string directly above the 5th fret on the 5th string and the 7th fret on the 4th string. Turn the tuning head to adjust the tuning on the 4th string by listening to the beats. Again, once the beats stop that string is in tune.
The 4th and 3rd string work the same way. Unfortunately you can’t tune the 2nd string using this process. Instead, play the harmonic that is located on the 6th string directly above the 7th fret. This note is a “B.” Play the 2nd string open (which is also “B”). Turn the tuner for the 2nd string to match the note to the harmonic.
To tune the high “E” string, use the harmonic on the 5th fret, second string and the 7th fret, 1st string. With a little practice you’ll get good at it and will likely use this method if no guitar tuner is available.
The best method is the guitar tuner. Even seasoned professionals use guitar tuners. Remember that if we have a cold or it is noisy, we can't always hear properly.
The thinnest string is called the high or top string because it is the highest sounding string even though it is physically on the bottom (for the conventional right & left handed guitarist). Conversely, the thickest string is the low string because it has the lowest sound.
For example, when your "Top E" string breaks, it means your thinnest string (the 1st string) has broken.
You must learn the names of your guitar strings. From the thickest to the thinnest it is: E (6th string), A (5th string), D (4th string), G (3rd string), B (2nd string), E (1st string). You'll need to know this to properly use a guitar tuner or keyboard.
You'll also need to know this when playing with other musicians and you are tuning with each other and finally when you go to the music store to purchase a replacement for a broken string.
When your guitar is flat (b) it means that the string sounds lower than the in tune sound, so the string must be tightened. When the string is sharp (#) it means that the string is sounding higher than the correct pitch of the note and the string must be loosened.
Electronic Guitar Tuner:The simplest and most effective way to tune your guitar is to purchase a guitar tuner. Even the least expensive tuner is quick, quiet and accurate and can tune electric, acoustic (classical and steel string) and both electric and acoustic 12-string guitars.
At the beginner stage, there is absolutely no reason to purchase a high-end chromatic tuner although, if it is within your budget, a hands-free tuner that recognizes the string you are tuning is well worth the few extra dollars. Have your guitar with you and ask the sales person at the music store to show you how to use the tuner.
Tips On Using An Electronic Tuner:
- Be sure that the battery is not dead.
- Your guitar must be close to being in tune to use the tuner since it is actually a fine tuner.
- If your guitar is substantially out of tune, first loosen each string to be sure that it is certainly lower than the in-tune pitch. Sometimes, when using a tuner, the guitarist continues to tighten the string when it actually started out higher than the desired pitch.
- Slowly tighten until it registers on the tuner making sure that the string you are tuning is the same as the string selected or indicated on your tuner.
- If you have a guitar that you can plug in, then plug it into the tuner. If you are tuning an acoustic guitar, get as close to the tuner as possible (hopefully only a couple of inches).
- Play the string once and let it ring so that the tuner can get a good reading. Play it again.
- After you have tuned all the strings, check all of the strings again. Remember, as you tighten each string, it pulls on the neck.
A guitar pitch pipe is a handy way to have reference notes to tune your guitar if there is no guitar tuner or piano available. Each guitar string has a corresponding note on the guitar pitch pipe.
Tuning The Guitar To Itself
By placing your fingers on the 5th fret, it is also possible to tune your guitar to itself. The reason that this works is that there is more than one way to play any given note on a guitar.
So when you press your finger just behind the 5th fret on the 6th string, that note is "A". The 5th string open (open is when you play the string without any left hand fingers pressing down) the note is also "A". Therefore, both "A's" must sound identical.
Not all of the strings are pressed down at the same time as it appears in the diagram. Tune the strings in pairs. For example: to tune the "B" string, press a finger just behind the 4th fret on the 3rd string and also play the 2nd string open.
Using a Tuning Fork
A tuning fork will give you a reference starting note such as “A” or “E”. From there you would tune the guitar to itself or harmonically.
Using a Piano or Keyboard
Tuning Harmonically
Harmonics are the “overtones” that give any instrument it’s tone. You can use the natural harmonics on the guitar as a method of tuning the guitar. These harmonics are located most dominantly at the 12th fret, 5th fret and 7th fret.
To play the harmonic, touch the string directly above the fret with a finger on your left hand and pick the string with your right hand. While the harmonic is “pinging” you can move your left hand away. Touch the 6th string directly above the 5th fret. Do not press the string down. Just use the fleshy part of your fingertip to touch above the 5th fret. Pick the string. You should hear the harmonic which is a clear “ping.” While the “ping” is ringing, touch the 5th string directly above the 7th fret to hear that harmonic “ping.”
Both notes should sound the same. If you hear a beat you need to tighten the 5th string tuning head (assuming that the 6th string is in tune). As you get closer to the two strings being in tune with each other, the “beat” will slow down. If it gets faster you are further away from being in tune.
The objective is to get the beat between notes slower and slower until it stops. When there is no more beat, the 6th and 5th strings are in tune with each other. Repeat this process with the 5th and 4th string.
Touch the string directly above the 5th fret on the 5th string and the 7th fret on the 4th string. Turn the tuning head to adjust the tuning on the 4th string by listening to the beats. Again, once the beats stop that string is in tune.
The 4th and 3rd string work the same way. Unfortunately you can’t tune the 2nd string using this process. Instead, play the harmonic that is located on the 6th string directly above the 7th fret. This note is a “B.” Play the 2nd string open (which is also “B”). Turn the tuner for the 2nd string to match the note to the harmonic.
To tune the high “E” string, use the harmonic on the 5th fret, second string and the 7th fret, 1st string. With a little practice you’ll get good at it and will likely use this method if no guitar tuner is available.