How to Tune a Guitar

It seems as though one of the most fundamental aspects of playing the guitar is also its biggest mystery--properly tuning the strings. Most veteran guitarists can tune by ear, but if you're a beginner, you might want to use a portable hand-held model. Many of these battery-operated gadgets have a microphone built into their design so that an acoustic guitar can be tuned without the need for an electronic connection. The following tips will get you in pitch-perfect tune in minutes. Note: For my example on how to tune your guitar to the standard tuning of E A D G B E, I will be using an acoustic guitar and a portable tuner with a built-in microphone.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Guitar
• Guitar pick
• Batteries
• Electronic guitar tuner

1. Turn the tuner to the "on" position. Face the guitar in close proximity of the tuner and play the first note (low E).
2. Check to ensure the tuner is receiving the signal. Turn the tuning peg on the guitar higher or lower in order to alter the pitch of the instrument.
3. Without touching any of the strings on your fretboard, cleanly, but gently pluck the top E string with your guitar pick.
4. The Boss TU2 digital tuner If using a digital tuner, the guitar string will be in tune when the LED of the digital display is indicated by a green light. It will indicate whether the note is either flat or sharp by a red light. If the light moves beyond the center of the intended note (E in this case), it is considered sharp and needs to be tuned down to get to the center. If it doesn't quite reach the center, then it will need to be tuned up.
5. The Boss TU12HW analog tuner When using an analog tuner, the same method is applied, only you will be dealing with a meter (needle) instead of the cool LED. The center or "in-tune" area of the meter is at "0."
6. Repeat this process for all subsequent strings, remembering to follow note E with A,D,G,B,E and going from top to bottom; lowest to highest.

Tips & Warnings

• It is important to note that the guitar is not an even-tempered instrument and will never be in perfect tune. It is designed around imperfect math that does not allow it to maintain perfect intonation.
• It is common, when restringing the guitar with new strings, that it will go out of tune. The strings are new and still stretching. Don't be discouraged. Instead, try to gently pull tension on each individual string to aid in accelerating the 'stretching' process.
• The only difference between tuning an acoustic and electric guitar is that you need a guitar cable to interconnect between an electric guitar and the tuner.
• Most chromatic tuners come in two versions. They either have a digital (LED) or analog display (meter with needle).
• If the neck of your guitar is even slightly warped, you're going to have a hard tuning your strings.