Tuning your guitar should not be taken lightly. There's nothing worse than listening to or playing a guitar that's out of tune. The first thing you should do when you pick up your guitar is tune it. After each set, tune your guitar. Before you record, tune up. Tuning your guitar will save you from losing that perfect lead because the G-string was flat. Tuning your guitar also trains your ear.
You can use this file to tune all your strings in the open position. Open means to pick the string without fretting it. Just pick it open and let it ring out.
 | All the notes for tuning the guitar. |
There are many ways to tune a guitar. Of course the easiest and most accurate way is with an electronic tuner. That is if your intonation is set properly.
I suggest everyone should own an electronic tuner. However, I strongly suggest you learn to tune your guitar with one note off a fixed source. This will not only help train your ear to the pitch of each note, but will help with finger placement and pressure applied to the string. The open A note for tuning has been included. You can use this audio file to tune the open A string and then follow the instructions to tune the remaining strings.
Click on the A note below for an A note source.
| Tuning the (A) or 5th string. |
I will explain the most basic way of tuning. I usually start with the open (A) string. This is the second largest string, which is called the 5th string. By using the fixed source piano, harmonica, tuning fork, another guitar or the A note supplied above you will tune your guitar.
We need to adjust the (A) string to match the pitch or tone of the A source by picking the open A string and letting it ring. I find by loosening the string below that tone and raising or tuning while increasing the string tension works the best and tends keep the guitar in tune longer. So once you establish that A tone and match it with the open (A) string you are ready to move on to the next string. Remember don't tune while loosening the string, only while tightening.
| Tuning the (D) or 4th string |
Now that you have the A string matching the pitch of the A source, your ready to move onto the D string. Of course the D or 4th string is directly below the A string. By fretting or placing your middle finger on the (fifth fret) A string then picking it, will sound the D note. This note should be held down and left to ring while adjusting the D or 4th string to match the tone. It may take a few times to match up, but remember to always match the tone while tightening, not while loosening.
| Tuning the (G) or 3rd String |
Now that you have the D string matching the A string at the 5th fret we can move onto the G string. The G string is directly below the D string. By fretting or placing your middle finger on the D string at the fifth fret and picking the string you sound the G note. Once again let the sound ring out by holding your middle finger down. You then adjust the G string to match the sound of the G note played at the fifth fret of the D string.
| Tuning the (B) or 2nd String. |
The B string is directly below the G string. Fretting the G string with your index finger at the forth fret, will sound the B note. Let this note ring out and adjust the B string to match this tone of the B note.
| Tuning the (E) or 1st String. |
The high E string is the thinnest and below the B string. Fretting the B string with your middle finger at the fifth fret will sound the E note. Let this note ring out and adjust the E string to match that of the fifth fret B string.
| Tuning the (E) or 6th String |
Finally our last string. The Low E string is the largest string. Place your middle finger on the fifth fret of the E string, we will need to adjust this string to match the open A string. Hold down the low E string at the 5th fret while you pick the open A string. Now adjust the Low E string until it matches the open A string tone. When you play the Low E string at the fifth fret, this will sound the A note.
An electronic tuner makes things a lot easier and is highly recommended. The image below shows the note placement and strings used for tuning your guitar.
| Click on image above to enlarge. |
Good Luck,
From the Jam Room