| Is your guitar out of tune? There are | | | | ringing. Harmonics are played by |
| many ways to fix that. Here are four | | | | fretting lightly (barely touching) the |
| methods to tune your guitar. | | | | space on the string immediately above |
| | | | the fret (the metal bar). It should be |
| Use An Electronic Tuner | | | | a bright ringing sound. To tune with |
| | | | this method, you're using harmonics on |
| This is the easiest way to tune a | | | | the seventh and fifth frets. |
| guitar. Electronic tuners come in | | | | |
| various styles and qualities. Some use | | | | The fifth harmonic (the harmonic on the |
| a microphone to hear the pitches, and | | | | fifth fret) on the low E string is a |
| some you can plug directly into (if you | | | | higher E, and the seventh harmonic on |
| have an electric guitar). They show the | | | | the A string is the same E. So the |
| note with either a needle indicating how | | | | fifth harmonic on E and the seventh on A |
| close to the pitch you are, or a simple | | | | should be exactly the same. You can |
| digital readout. It can be with a | | | | tune the strings to match. |
| digital meter, or it can be a set of | | | | |
| lights with different colors to indicate | | | | e-------- |
| when you're tuned to the proper note. | | | | B-------- |
| The best tuners can tune any string to | | | | G-------- |
| any note. Be cautious about buying a | | | | D-------- |
| cheap tuner, as it may not pick up the | | | | A---- |
| sound of your guitar accurately. | | | | E---- |
| | | | |
| Use Another Instrument | | | | Same with most of the rest of the |
| | | | strings: the fifth on A matches the |
| This method means you're tuning by ear | | | | seventh on D, the fifth on D matches the |
| to another instrument that can play the | | | | seventh on G, and the fifth on B matches |
| notes for you. This can be another | | | | the seventh on the high E. The |
| guitar, a piano, a handheld pitch pipe, | | | | exception is again the G and B strings. |
| or even your computer. To tune with | | | | The fifth harmonic on G is G, but the |
| this method, you have to play the proper | | | | fifth on B is an F#. There are |
| note for each string, then tune the | | | | different ways to handle this - you can |
| string until it matches the pitch | | | | tune the fifth harmonic on the low E |
| played. | | | | string to the open B string (they're the |
| | | | same pitch). You can also just tune the |
| Tune The Guitar To Itself | | | | B with the "normal" method, by playing |
| | | | the fourth fret normally on G to get |
| To use this method, it's assumed you're | | | | your B note. |
| doing standard tuning, and you're trying | | | | |
| to tune your strings to EADGBE (from low | | | | Additional Info |
| to high). If you use this method, it's | | | | |
| a good idea to have at least one of the | | | | Those are the four methods to tune your |
| strings in proper tune, although it's | | | | guitar. Here's some extra info you |
| not necessary. If you don't have | | | | might find useful: |
| another instrument or an electronic | | | | |
| tuner, you can tune your guitar by | | | | Make sure to tune UP into your pitches. |
| playing the right note for the next | | | | Drop the note low, then tune up into |
| string. | | | | it. The reason you want to do this is |
| | | | because it keeps the tension on the |
| This means that if you want to tune | | | | string when you tune up, so the string |
| your A string, you play the fifth fret | | | | won't go out of tune as easily. If you |
| on the low E string. | | | | tune down to the note, playing the |
| | | | string will often pull the string |
| e-------- | | | | farther out, tuning it down more. |
| B-------- | | | | Tuning up makes sure your tension is |
| G-------- | | | | tight enough that this won't happen. |
| D-------- | | | | Drop D Tuning. To get your guitar into |
| A---0---- | | | | drop D tuning, you simply need to tune |
| E---5---- | | | | your low E string to an open D. This is |
| | | | dropping it a full step. To tune it |
| The fifth fret is an A note, and it | | | | relative to the A string, you should |
| should be exactly the same pitch as your | | | | match the seventh fret with the open A |
| open A string. You do this for every | | | | string, instead of the fifth fret. You |
| other string. The fifth fret of the A | | | | can also play the twelfth fret and match |
| string is a D, the fifth fret of the D | | | | it with the open D string, since they |
| string is a G, the fourth fret of the G | | | | should be the same note. |
| string is a B, and the fifth fret of the | | | | |
| B string is an E. So when you play the | | | | |
| fifth fret of every string (except for | | | | Conclusion |
| G), it should sound exactly the same as | | | | |
| playing the next string open (without | | | | Keeping your guitar in pitch is a good |
| fretting it). | | | | idea to do every time you play. Make |
| | | | sure you keep good fresh strings on for |
| Tune The Guitar To Itself (using | | | | the best results. If your guitar goes |
| harmonics) | | | | out of tune after playing it once, even |
| | | | after tuning it - it's probably time for |
| You can also tune the guitar to itself | | | | new strings. If it happens even with |
| in a similar way to the above method by | | | | new strings - it might be time for a new |
| using harmonics instead of fretting the | | | | guitar. At any rate, playing guitar |
| guitar. The big advantage to this is | | | | while it's in tune is polite for you, |
| that you can actually tune the guitar | | | | your guitar, and anyone listening. Now |
| while two strings are ringing from | | | | that you know how to do it properly, you |
| harmonics, and still hear the pitches. | | | | don't ever have to play an out of tune |
| If you do the "normal" method above, you | | | | guitar again!Alan Marquez is a guitarist |
| can only play both strings once, then | | | | with over 10 years of experience. He |
| you have to tune, stop, play them again, | | | | plays on a weekly basis and has taught |
| and so forth. This method lets you tune | | | | guitar for over five years. |
| at the same time you hear the strings | | | | |