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LESSONS : TUNING YOUR GUITAR

Being in tune is THE most important first step for guitar players. It doesn't matter how good you are, if your guitar is out of tune, it sounds bad! Whenever you play by yourself or especially with other musicians, this should be the FIRST thing that you should do. There are two basic ways to tune up your guitar. One is by playing fretted notes and the other way involves harmonics. Below is 6 steps to getting in tune by using fretted notes. Let get in tune!
1. Tune up your E string to standard tuning. You can use the TUNER on this page, a piano, or an electrical tuner to tune up the Low E string. When you hear the E on the tuner and play the E on your guitar at the same time it should sound the same. When the pitches are off, you will here a pulsing. Then as you get closer and closer to the right pitch this pulsating should slow till it is all gone and the strings are the same.
Here is an example of this pulsing sound.

2. Now that the E is in tune, place your finger on the Low E string, 5th fret. This note is A. As you know, the 5th string is also the note A. (See "Six Strings") Play this note and the Open A string. As illustrated below, these notes are the same and should sound exactly the same. Change the open A to sound exactly like the A on the E string, 5th fret.

3. Now place your finger on the A string, 5th fret. This note is D. As you know, the 4th string is also the note D. (See "Six Strings")Play this note and the Open D string. As illustrated below, these notes are the same and should sound exactly the same. Change the open D to sound exactly like the D on the A string, 5th fret.

4. Now place your finger on the D string, 5th fret. This note is G. As you know, the 3rd string is also the note G. (See "Six Strings")Play this note and the Open G string. As illustrated below, these notes are the same and should sound exactly the same. Change the open G to sound exactly like the G on the D string, 5th fret.

5. NOTE -(This strings differ from the others) Now place your finger on the G string, 4th fret. This note is B. As you know, the 2nd string is also the note B. (See "Six Strings") Play this note and the Open B string. As illustrated below, these notes are the same and should sound exactly the same. Change the open B to sound exactly like the B on the G string, 4th fret.

6. Now place your finger on the B string, 5th fret. This note is E. As you know, the 1st string is also the note E. (See "Six Strings") Play this note and the Open E string. As illustrated below, these notes are the same and should sound exactly the same. Change the open E to sound exactly like the E on the B string, 5th fret.