Guitar Tuning
Guitar tuning should be done every single time you play, whether its for show or for practice. Theres nothing fun about playing a guitar that isnt in tune. Many beginners get frustrated with their playing simply because they dont know how important acousting guitar tuning is to do. Its always worth it to take just a few minutes to tune your guitar.
It takes some time and practice to learn guitar tuning by ear. Because of this, for a beginner, the easiest way to do guitar tuning is to use an electronic tuner. Starting at only around $20, buying an electronic tuner is more than worth it. If you buy an electronic tuner especially for guitars, it will be able to tell what string you are playing.
When you sit down to tune your guitar, put the electronic tuner on a stool or table next to you and switch it on. Pluck the first string. The tuner will be able to sense which string youre tuning with its microphone. The indicator on the tuner will tell you how close you are to the right pitch. It will also indicate whether you are sharp or flat. Use the tuning key to adjust the string until your tuner indicates that youre in tune.
Remember to always tune up, meaning go from looser to tighter until the string is in tune. If you go too tight, dont loosen it slightly to get in tune. This is called tuning down. Its better to loosen the string up a bit, and then retighten it to get it in tune. Tuning up is always more accurate and will keep the string in tune much better.
If you want to learn guitar tuning without using an electronic tuner, you will still need a source for a reference pitch. You can use another guitar, a piano, a tuning fork, or an MP3 that you know is in tune.
Start your guitar tuning by tuning the low E, or sixth string, to the reference pitch. Once youve got your sixth string in tune, you can tune the other five strings to that note. Just follow along. There is a long explanation to why this works, but just like you dont need to know how a car works to drive it, you dont need to know a lot of music theory to do guitar tuning. Just stay with me.
(1 ) Play your (in tune) sixth string on the fifth fret, and tune the open fifth string to that note.
(2) Play your fifth string on the fifth fret, and tune the open fourth string to that note.
(3) Fourth string on fifth to tune open third.
(4) Pay attention to this one, we have to switch things up a bit Play your third string on the fourth fret to tune your open second.
(5) Switching again Second string on fifth to tune your open first string. Hey look! You did it.
Guitar tuning with an electronic tuner will always get you accurate results. But if you try to do it the old fashioned way first, then use the electronic tuner to check your results, you can really learn to develop your ear.
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