How to Manually Tune a Guitar

This how to is intended to teach beginners and amateurs to manually tune a guitar without using any tuning gadgets.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• guitar
• great set of ears
• (optional) piano/organ/your cellphone that allows you to compose tones will also do

1. If you have great Music ears, try to recall the E note. If not, on the keyboard of your piano, press E. Or if you have a cell phone that lets you compose tones, play E. Then base on this note, tune the 6th string. Play the open 6th string (this is done by NOT pressing on the string, just plucking on the string). Continue adjusting the tuning keys until they sound the same.

2. 

   Then tune the 5th string. The sound of the 5th string should be similar to the sound of the 6th string pressed on the 5th Fret. (5th String open is tuned with 6th String pressed on 5th Fret)

3. 

   Then tune the 4th string. The sound of the 4th string should be similar to the sound of the 5th string pressed on the 5th Fret. (4th String open is tuned with 5th String pressed on 5th Fret)

4. 

   Then tune the 3rd string. The sound of the 3rd string should be similar to the sound of the 4th string pressed on the 5th Fret. (3rd String open is tuned with 4th String pressed on 5th Fret)

5. 

   Then tune the 2nd string. The sound of the 2nd string should be similar to the sound of the 3rd string pressed on the 4th Fret. (2nd String open is tuned with 3rd String pressed on 4th Fret)

6. 

   Then tune the 1st string. The sound of the 1st string should be similar to the sound of the 2nd string pressed on the 5th Fret. (1st String open is tuned with 2nd String pressed on 5th Fret)

7. Now your guitar is tuned in Standard Notes E A D G B E (6th String down to 1st String).

Tips & Warnings

• When tuning, the pressed 5th Fret is tuned to the open note of the String below, except on the case of the 3rd String, where the 4th Fret is tuned with the open 2nd String.
• Slowly adjust the tuning keys, as not to strain the strings
• Be patient