Tweet
Tune a Guitar
If you want to be a guitar god, you need to have a properly tuned guitar. While there are electric tuners (or band assistants) to make the job effortless, a good musician must know how to tune his own instrument in a pinch.
So, here's how to tune a 6-string guitar with the standard tuning method.
Steps
Know which note each string on the guitar plays.
Note that there are two E strings on the guitar. The thickest string is the bottom E (or low E) and the thinnest string is the top E (or high E).
Know which tuning keys correspond with which strings.
Find a way to listen to an E note. This can be done using a piano, a pitch pipe, or a recorded E note found on the web as a .wav or .mp3 file.
Put the guitar on your lap in a comfortable playing position.
Plucking bottom E stringPluck the bottom E string (the thickest string) while listening to the E note from some other sound source (i.e. piano, pitch pipe). The bottom E string is good to begin with because its thickness makes it less likely to detune.
Tuning bottom E stringTurn the tuning key for the bottom E string until your guitar's bottom E string sounds the same as the known E note. Turning the key so that it tightens the string will make the pitch higher, while loosening the string will make the pitch lower.
When the string is slightly out of tune, the E from the guitar will combine with the E from the sound source (i.e. piano), and cause the sound to "waver" in pitch.
As you tighten the guitar string, you should hear this wavering slow down; the two strings are in tune if the wavering has stopped. If you go too far, the wavering will increase again.
Fifth-fretted bottom E stringPush down on the fifth fret of the bottom E string that you just tuned and pluck the string. This will be referred to as the fifth-fretted bottom E string.
Plucking A stringPluck the A string and compare it to the sound of the fifth-fretted bottom E string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning A stringTurn the tuning key for the A string until it sounds the same as the fifth-fretted bottom E string.
Fifth-fretted A stringPluck the D string and compare it to the sound of the fifth-fretted A string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning D stringTune the D string to the fifth-fretted A string.
Fifth-fretted D stringPluck the G string and compare it to the sound of the fifth-fretted D string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning G stringTune the G string to the fifth-fretted D string.
Fourth-fretted G stringPluck the B string and compare it to the sound of the fourth-fretted G string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning B stringTune the B string to the fourth-fretted G string. Note that this is the only time the fourth fret is used.
Fifth-fretted B stringPluck the top E string and compare it to the sound of the fifth-fretted B string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning top E stringTune the top E string to the fifth-fretted B string. Be very careful when tightening this string as it can break easily.
Tips
Tune your guitar every time you use it. Playing can make your guitar go out of tune, especially if you have a cheap guitar or old, cheap strings.
If you are tuning a bass guitar, the layout is the same. The difference is a bass guitar doesn't have a B and high E string.
Warnings
This is not the case with all guitars. Guitars that have "fanned frets" use different scale lengths for each string and are called Novax guitars.
So, here's how to tune a 6-string guitar with the standard tuning method.
Steps
Know which note each string on the guitar plays.
Note that there are two E strings on the guitar. The thickest string is the bottom E (or low E) and the thinnest string is the top E (or high E).
Know which tuning keys correspond with which strings.
Find a way to listen to an E note. This can be done using a piano, a pitch pipe, or a recorded E note found on the web as a .wav or .mp3 file.
Put the guitar on your lap in a comfortable playing position.
Plucking bottom E stringPluck the bottom E string (the thickest string) while listening to the E note from some other sound source (i.e. piano, pitch pipe). The bottom E string is good to begin with because its thickness makes it less likely to detune.
Tuning bottom E stringTurn the tuning key for the bottom E string until your guitar's bottom E string sounds the same as the known E note. Turning the key so that it tightens the string will make the pitch higher, while loosening the string will make the pitch lower.
When the string is slightly out of tune, the E from the guitar will combine with the E from the sound source (i.e. piano), and cause the sound to "waver" in pitch.
As you tighten the guitar string, you should hear this wavering slow down; the two strings are in tune if the wavering has stopped. If you go too far, the wavering will increase again.
Fifth-fretted bottom E stringPush down on the fifth fret of the bottom E string that you just tuned and pluck the string. This will be referred to as the fifth-fretted bottom E string.
Plucking A stringPluck the A string and compare it to the sound of the fifth-fretted bottom E string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning A stringTurn the tuning key for the A string until it sounds the same as the fifth-fretted bottom E string.
Fifth-fretted A stringPluck the D string and compare it to the sound of the fifth-fretted A string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning D stringTune the D string to the fifth-fretted A string.
Fifth-fretted D stringPluck the G string and compare it to the sound of the fifth-fretted D string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning G stringTune the G string to the fifth-fretted D string.
Fourth-fretted G stringPluck the B string and compare it to the sound of the fourth-fretted G string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning B stringTune the B string to the fourth-fretted G string. Note that this is the only time the fourth fret is used.
Fifth-fretted B stringPluck the top E string and compare it to the sound of the fifth-fretted B string. Pluck the two strings in succession and then simultaneously.
Tuning top E stringTune the top E string to the fifth-fretted B string. Be very careful when tightening this string as it can break easily.
Tips
Tune your guitar every time you use it. Playing can make your guitar go out of tune, especially if you have a cheap guitar or old, cheap strings.
If you are tuning a bass guitar, the layout is the same. The difference is a bass guitar doesn't have a B and high E string.
Warnings
This is not the case with all guitars. Guitars that have "fanned frets" use different scale lengths for each string and are called Novax guitars.
Comment