Learning to tune your guitar is one of the very first and most crucial steps for any beginner guitarist. An out-of-tune guitar simply won’t sound right, no matter how well you play. This guide will walk you through the essential techniques on how to tune your guitar strings, whether you’re using a tuner or training your ear. Understanding guitar string notes and mastering tuning will make your practice sessions far more enjoyable and effective.
Understanding Guitar Tuning Basics
Guitar tuning is all about adjusting the tension of your strings using the tuning pegs located on the guitar’s headstock. By turning these pegs, you can change the pitch of each string. Tightening a string increases its pitch, making the note higher (sharper), while loosening a string lowers the pitch, making it flatter.
How Often Should You Tune Your Guitar?
The golden rule is to tune your guitar every single time you pick it up to play. Don’t expect your guitar to stay perfectly in tune between playing sessions. Even regular playing, especially techniques like string bending or extended practice, can cause your guitar to go out of tune. It’s a good habit to frequently check your guitar tuning while playing. If chords start to sound dissonant or off, even when you’re sure you’re playing the correct finger positions, it’s a clear sign your guitar needs tuning.
Close-up of a guitarist tuning their acoustic guitar, emphasizing the tuning pegs and headstock.
Methods for Tuning Your Guitar
Modern technology has made guitar tuning incredibly accessible and straightforward thanks to electronic tuners. However, learning to tune by ear using a reference note is also a valuable skill.
Tuning Your Guitar with an Electronic Tuner
Clip-on electronic tuners have revolutionized guitar string tuning. Unlike older plug-in tuners, these devices attach directly to your guitar’s headstock and detect string vibrations. They clearly indicate whether a string is flat (too low), sharp (too high), or perfectly in tune. They are equally effective for both acoustic and electric guitars. Affordable, accurate, and user-friendly, clip-on tuners are an excellent tool for any guitarist, especially beginners. Many beginner guitar amplifiers also come equipped with built-in tuners, offering another convenient option.
Tuning Your Guitar Without a Tuner
If you find yourself needing to tune your guitar without a dedicated tuner, don’t worry, it’s a common situation for musicians.
Fortunately, numerous tuner apps are available for smartphones and tablets, many of which are free. These apps utilize your device’s microphone to detect the pitch of your guitar strings, providing a portable and readily available tuning solution. As you adjust the tuning pegs, the app’s display will show you when the string reaches the correct pitch.
Alternatively, you can tune your guitar using a reference pitch from another instrument, such as a piano or another guitar that you know is already in tune.
Tuning by ear requires a bit more practice. It involves listening carefully to the reference pitch, playing the corresponding note on your guitar, and comparing the two. You then adjust your guitar string until its pitch matches the reference note. Once you have one string accurately tuned, you can use it as a reference to tune the remaining guitar string notes. This is done by fretting a note on a lower string and tuning the next higher open string to match that fretted note.
Identifying Guitar String Names & Notes: EADgbe
Standard guitar tuning involves six strings. Ordered from the thickest (lowest pitch) to the thinnest (highest pitch), the guitar string notes are: E, A, D, G, B, and E.
Diagram illustrating the guitar fretboard with string names and notes clearly marked for beginners.
To easily remember these guitar string names, you can use mnemonic devices. Popular examples include: “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie” or “Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears”. The 1st string is the thinnest, high E string, and the 6th string is the thickest, low E string.
Mnemonic device visually represented to help beginners memorize guitar string names: "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie".
While standard tuning (EADgbe) is the most common, exploring alternate guitar tunings can open up new sonic possibilities and is something to consider as you progress.
Step-by-Step Guide to Tuning Each String
Let’s go through tuning each guitar string note using the method of referencing notes from other strings. For this, we’ll assume your low E string is already close to being in tune, or you have a reference pitch for it.
Tuning Your Low E String (6th String)
If you have a reference pitch (like from a piano or tuner), start by tuning your low E string (the thickest string) to that reference. If you don’t, you can use the 7th fret of the A string (which we’ll tune next) as an E note to get started.
Tuning Tip for the 6th String (Low E)
Tune the low E string to your reference pitch, adjusting the tuning peg until the guitar note matches the reference.
Tuning Your A String (5th String)
Next, to tune your A string, play a note at the 5th fret of the E string. This fretted note should be an A. Tune your open A string to match the pitch of the 5th fret of the E string.
Tuning Tip for the 5th String (A)
Tune the A string by matching its open string pitch to the note at the 5th fret of the correctly tuned E string.
Tuning Your D String (4th String)
To tune your D string, play the 5th fret of the A string. This should produce a D note. Tune your open D string until it matches this pitch.
Tuning Tip for the 4th String (D)
Tune the D string by matching its open string pitch to the note at the 5th fret of the correctly tuned A string.
Tuning Your G String (3rd String)
Tune your G string by playing the 5th fret of the D string. The fretted note should be a G. Adjust your open G string to match this pitch.
Tuning Tip for the 3rd String (G)
Tune the G string by matching its open string pitch to the note at the 5th fret of the correctly tuned D string.
Tuning Your B String (2nd String)
Here’s a slight variation: to tune your B string, play the 4th fret of the G string. This fretted note is a B. Tune your open B string to match this pitch.
Tuning Tip for the 2nd String (B)
Tune the B string by matching its open string pitch to the note at the 4th fret of the correctly tuned G string.
Tuning Your High E String (1st String)
Finally, tune your high E string by playing the 5th fret of the B string. This note is an E. Tune your open high E string to match.
Tuning Tip for the 1st String (High E)
Tune the high E string by matching its open string pitch to the note at the 5th fret of the correctly tuned B string.
Once you’ve become comfortable with tuning each guitar string name, you’ll be ready to explore reading guitar tabs and start learning your favorite songs!
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Guitar Summer Camps
School of Rock offers fantastic music camps during the summer where students learn essential skills like how to tune a guitar, along with playing songs and performing in a band. From songwriting workshops to developing stage presence for guitarists, our summer guitar camps cater to all skill levels.
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Tips to Keep Your Guitar in Tune Longer
After you’ve finished tuning your guitar, here are a few helpful tips to keep it in tune for longer periods:
- Replace Your Strings Regularly: When your guitar strings start to sound dull or consistently go out of tune, it’s time for a fresh set. New strings hold their tuning much better.
- Stretch New Strings: Whenever you put on new strings, remember to stretch them. You can do this by playing vigorously or gently pulling on the strings (be careful not to pull too hard and break them!). This helps them settle in and maintain pitch.
- Maintain Your Guitar Properly: Avoid exposing your guitar to extreme changes in temperature or humidity, as this can significantly affect tuning stability. After playing, wipe down the strings with a soft cloth and store your guitar in its case or gig bag.
Whether you prefer using an electronic tuner or tuning by ear, mastering these simple steps will ensure your guitar is always in tune, stays in tune, and provides a much more enjoyable playing experience.
Thinking about getting a new guitar? Don’t miss our Guitar Buying Guide
