How to Tune a Guitar Without a Tuner

You can tune your guitar to itself by ear alone, but this won't necessarily put you in tune with other instruments. If you want it to be true--that is, play the correct notes so that it will sound good with other instruments--you need to get a starting note. This article assumes that you have already tuned your low E to the right note, either by using a pitch pipe or getting a note from another guitarist. Read on to learn how to tune a guitar without a tuner.

Instructions

Preliminaries

1. Understand guitar tuning. In standard guitar tuning the notes are, from lowest to highest, E,A,D,G,B and E. There are two E strings, separated by two octaves.

2. Understand overtones. When you pluck a string, it doesn't just play the pitch of the note. It also plays overtones, which are frequencies that are multiples of the fundamental pitch. So, for example, the A string vibrates at 110 hz (hertz or cycles-per-second), but also at its overtones at 220 hz, 330 hz and so on.

3. Understand how to isolate an overtone. By lightly touching the string at certain points, plucking it with the other hand, and quickly removing your finger, you can hear one overtone without hearing the fundamental frequency. This is important for tuning.

4. Understand beat frequencies. A beat frequency occurs when two strings vibrate at very similar frequencies at the same time. The beat is a pulsing sound dependent on the difference between the frequencies. For example, if one string is vibrating at 200 hz and another is vibrating at 203 hz, you will hear the note get louder and softer three times every second.

Method One

1. Hold down the low E string behind the fifth fret and pluck the string.

2. While the low E is ringing, pluck the A string.

3. Adjust the A string until the two have the same tone. You will know because the beat frequency will get slower and then stop. When it stops, you are in tune.

4. Repeat the steps above, only this time use the A string to tune the D string. Hold the A string at the fifth fret and pluck it and the open D string. Tune the D string until the beat frequency stops.

5. Repeat, tuning the G string to the fifth fret of the D string.

6. Repeat, but with one minor variation. This time, tune the B string to the fourth fret of the G string.

7. Tune the high E string to the fifth fret of the B string. Your guitar is now tuned.

Method Two

1. Play an overtone at the fifth fret of the low E string and another overtone at the seventh fret of the A string.

2. Adjust the tuning of the A string until the beat frequency slows and stops.

3. Now tune the seventh fret harmonic of the D string to the fifth fret harmonic of the A string. Adjust the D until the beat frequency stops.

4. Tune the seventh fret harmonic of the G string to the fifth fret harmonic of the D string.

5. This time, it's a bit different. Tune the fifth fret harmonic of the B string to the fourth fret harmonic of the G.

6. Tune the seventh fret harmonic of the high E string to the fifth fret harmonic of the B. Your guitar is now tuned.

Tips & Warnings

• Using the above methods will not necessarily give you a perfectly tuned guitar. You may have to go back and adjust the tuning a few times to get it just right.