How to Tune an Acoustic Guitar with an Electric Tuner

The acoustic guitar is a fun instrument to learn, but sometimes it can be frustrating for beginners due to a tendency to drop out of tune very easily. Changing climate conditions and general use make the stings tighten and loosen, which can cause chords to sound flat or sharp. One of the easiest ways to tune a guitar is to use an automatic electric tuner. An electric tuner is a device which senses the pitch of a guitar's strings as they are played, and has a readout displaying whether the note was flat, sharp, or in tune.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Turn on the electric tuner and set it someplace that you can easily view while you hold your guitar.

2. Strum the 6th (thickest) string. Normal guitar tuning has the 6th string set to an E note, and the electronic tuner will automatically recognize that the string is near an E note, telling you whether your string is flat or sharp. If the string is not near E, the tuner may not recognize it, so tighten or loosen the string's knob until the tuner begins recognizing the string.

3. Adjust the tuning key for the 6th string as necessary until it is in tune. If it is flat, you will need to tighten the string. If it is sharp, you will need to loosen the string. If you strum the string before you make an adjustment, you will be able to hear the note go up or down.

4. Continue the same process of strumming, reading the monitor and tuning for each of the 5 remaining strings. Electronic tuners are made to sense each guitar string in standard tune so each one should be recognized automatically if it is near the proper note. The remaining strings should be tuned as follows for standard tuning: 5th=A, 4th=D,3rd=G, 2nd=B and 1st=E.

Tips & Warnings

• Some guitar tuners allow for non standard tuning, or tuning at several steps below standard tuning. An electronic tuner makes it easy to quickly check your guitar's tuning before use.

Resources

• Guitar tuning info