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