Comments on How to Tune a Guitar by Ear

When tuning, listen carefully. When you have the low E string in tune to tune the A string (the next string under the E string), hold down the E string on the 5th fret and pluck the A string open (without holding string down on any fret). If the two notes played together as one, they should sound the same. If you hear a wavy sound, then the A note is either tuned a slight bit too high or too low. When the note is in tune the note will sound the exact same. This is easier to notice on an electric guitar but you can also hear it on an acoustic. If you have an electric-acoustic tune it first un-plugged then plug it into your amplifier and then listen to it and you will more than likely hear the wavy sound. Follow this method to fix the problem and you will have much cleaner sound when playing. Do the same for all strings.

This will read like a lot of work, but once you get used to it it takes almost no time at all and your guitar is really in tune. I try to balance out the errors like this: Tune the low E however you want (tuner, pitch pipe, the song you're trying to play along with on the CD, etc.) Fret an E on the D string (2nd fret) and adjust the D string until they are in unison. Do the same for the high E string - it should be in unison with the low E and the "mid" (D string 2nd fret) E. You have just tuned all the "E's". The E note is the root of this tuning method. You shouldn't have to adjust either E string or the D string because they have all been tuned together now. The exception is if you have new strings that aren't stretched yet or a guitar with a flexible neck that moves when you adjust the tension on other strings. In those cases you might have to go through the entire process several times - just like with any other tuning method). Now you can fret the low E string on the 5th fret along with the open A string until they are in unison. Next, fret the A and D strings at the 2nd fret and play the low E. These are the bottom three notes of an open E chord. Now fret the D string at the 2nd fret and play the open A and low E. These are the bottom three notes of an open A (E root) chord. They should both sound good. If not, adjust the A string until both sound equally good. At this point, we have found the best tuning for the "A" note on top of the E. Now fret the G string on fret 2 (to create a higher A) and adjust the G string until it is in unison with the open A string. You have now tuned all the "As". The "A"s (on the A string and the G string) are the second level above the base. If you've done this correctly, you're done with 5 of the 6 strings. So now we've adjusted everything but the B string. Fret the A string on the second fret to create a low B, and pluck it and the open B string until they are in unison. The B string is at the top of the tuning pyramid, and is often the hardest one to make "fit." Therefore, it's also the most likely culprit if the guitar's not in tune. Now play a series of octaves to see how balanced everything is. All the octaves should be wave-free. The letter denotes the string, the number denotes the fret, no number = open. E(low) + D2 (checks for E) E(low) 3+ G (checks G) A + G2 (checks for A) A2 + B (checks for B) D + B3 (checks for D) D2 + E(high) (checks for E) G + E(high)3 (checks for G) If they don't sound good, try to adjust the B string until they do. If that doesn't work, check everything all over from the start in case the E's or the A's have lost tune (due to stretching strings, a loose neck, or a whammy bar). Go through this a few times and you should have a pretty even-tempered guitar, where even a C chord sounds good!Go through it a few dozen times and it will become second nature! Good luck!

When tuning, listen carefully. When you have the low E string in tune to tune the A string (the next string under the E string), hold down the E string on the 5th fret and pluck the A string open (without holding string down on any fret). If the two notes played together as one, they should sound the same. If you hear a wavy sound, then the A note is either tuned a slight bit too high or too low. When the note is in tune the note will sound the exact same. This is easier to notice on an electric guitar but you can also hear it on an acoustic. If you have an electric-acoustic tune it first un-plugged then plug it into your amplifier and then listen to it and you will more than likely hear the wavy sound. Follow this method to fix the problem and you will have much cleaner sound when playing. Do the same for all strings.

This will read like a lot of work, but once you get used to it it takes almost no time at all and your guitar is really in tune. I try to balance out the errors like this: Tune the low E however you want (tuner, pitch pipe, the song you're trying to play along with on the CD, etc.) Fret an E on the D string (2nd fret) and adjust the D string until they are in unison. Do the same for the high E string - it should be in unison with the low E and the "mid" (D string 2nd fret) E. You have just tuned all the "E's". The E note is the root of this tuning method. You shouldn't have to adjust either E string or the D string because they have all been tuned together now. The exception is if you have new strings that aren't stretched yet or a guitar with a flexible neck that moves when you adjust the tension on other strings. In those cases you might have to go through the entire process several times - just like with any other tuning method). Now you can fret the low E string on the 5th fret along with the open A string until they are in unison. Next, fret the A and D strings at the 2nd fret and play the low E. These are the bottom three notes of an open E chord. Now fret the D string at the 2nd fret and play the open A and low E. These are the bottom three notes of an open A (E root) chord. They should both sound good. If not, adjust the A string until both sound equally good. At this point, we have found the best tuning for the "A" note on top of the E. Now fret the G string on fret 2 (to create a higher A) and adjust the G string until it is in unison with the open A string. You have now tuned all the "As". The "A"s (on the A string and the G string) are the second level above the base. If you've done this correctly, you're done with 5 of the 6 strings. So now we've adjusted everything but the B string. Fret the A string on the second fret to create a low B, and pluck it and the open B string until they are in unison. The B string is at the top of the tuning pyramid, and is often the hardest one to make "fit." Therefore, it's also the most likely culprit if the guitar's not in tune. Now play a series of octaves to see how balanced everything is. All the octaves should be wave-free. The letter denotes the string, the number denotes the fret, no number = open. E(low) + D2 (checks for E) E(low) 3+ G (checks G) A + G2 (checks for A) A2 + B (checks for B) D + B3 (checks for D) D2 + E(high) (checks for E) G + E(high)3 (checks for G) If they don't sound good, try to adjust the B string until they do. If that doesn't work, check everything all over from the start in case the E's or the A's have lost tune (due to stretching strings, a loose neck, or a whammy bar). Go through this a few times and you should have a pretty even-tempered guitar, where even a C chord sounds good!Go through it a few dozen times and it will become second nature! Good luck!

I'm a beginner player, so I'm not that good with all this guitar talk yet. I learned a different way to tune by ear. Once you have your low E in tune then you press 12th fret on E and 7th fret on A, 12th on A and 7th on D and so on except to tune B, then it would be 12th on G and 6th on B.

I'm a beginner player, so I'm not that good with all this guitar talk yet. I learned a different way to tune by ear. Once you have your low E in tune then you press 12th fret on E and 7th fret on A, 12th on A and 7th on D and so on except to tune B, then it would be 12th on G and 6th on B.

Sometimes, if a guitar needs constant tuning even after it's new (and especially if it buzzes a lot even with proper fingering), the neck may need to be adjusted by a professional.

If you strum the string you are tuning to, make sure and strum it multiple times, memorizing the sound. When you strum the actual string you are tuning, it will be much easier to tune.