How to Tune a Guitar in Key
A guitar can be tuned in several ways, depending upon user preference or circumstances. The six strings on a guitar are tuned, from thickest to the thinnest, E, A, D, G, B and E. While a digital tuner is the easiest and most reliable way to tune your guitar, if you don't have a digital tuner at your disposal, you can still tune your instrument.
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Instructions
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Online Tuners
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1
Find an online tuner if you have access to the Internet. There are websites with tuners that you can use to accurately tune your guitar. Web-based tuners work similarly to digital tuners.
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2
Sit in front of your computer, turn it up so you can hear the notes and click on the guitar string you want to tune. A note will play, usually in a loop until you select the next one. Listen to the tone to familiarize yourself with it.
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3
Play the string you want to tune as the digital tone plays. Listen for the two notes to come together. If your string is not in tune, you will hear a vibration as the two notes sound. You may have to concentrate to hear the difference in pitch. The faster the vibration, the further the notes are out of tune. As the vibration slows, the notes are coming together. When the vibration is gone, your string is in tune.
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4
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for each string you need to tune.
Tuning the Guitar to Itself
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Tune your guitar to itself if there isn't a tuner or reference tone available. The best way to do this is to estimate the right note for the lowest E string. If you've played guitar long enough, you may have a good idea how the low E sounds. Tighten your string to make it higher or loosen it to lower the pitch.
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Place your first finger on the fifth fret of the thick E string. This will be the same note as the next string (A string) played open. Play the two strings together and listen for the vibration between the two notes to come together. This will tune the E and A strings.
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7
Repeat the process described above until you come to the G and B strings (the second and third strings from the thinnest string on your guitar). Place your finger on the fourth fret of the G string and play the B string (string above the thinnest string) at the same time, without pressing down on a fret. These two notes should be tuned together.
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8
Place your finger on the fifth fret of the B string and play the thinnest string on the guitar to complete the tuning. Bring these two notes together. This will tune your guitar to itself so that chords you play will sound good. You may not be in tune with other instruments. That depends upon how close you came to setting your low E.
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Tips & Warnings
You can purchase a tuning fork at any music store if you can't afford a digital tuner. To tune to a tuning fork, tap the tuning fork against a hard surface. This causes the fork to vibrate at A. Tune your A string to the fork, and then follow the instructions for tuning your guitar to itself. This gives you a reliable starting note.
Use a digital tuner if possible. Digital tuners read the vibration of your guitar strings individually and a light indicator tells you when you're in tune. All you need to do is tighten or loosen your strings until the digital tuner indicates that your guitar is in tune.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit guitar player image by Mladenov from Fotolia.com
