How To Tune A Guitar

Tuning the guitar can be more frustrating for the beginning guitarist than actually playing a song. However it is very important that the instrument is in tune before you play it. (This means tuning up at the beginning of every session).

There are a few different approaches to tuning but the one I'll talk about involves tuning the sixth string to a reference note, then tuning the rest of the strings from the guitar itself.

Exercise 3 Pick the open sixth string on your guitar and listen to the sound it makes. Now listen to Exercise 3 sound file *. Does your string sound the same? Probably not. Now here's the difficult part. Can you tell whether the pitch of your string is sharp (higher) or flat (lower) compared to the one on the sound file? When you've established that we'll move on. If your string sounds lower than the one on the sound file then turn the machine head for the sixth string so that when you pick the string again it sounds a bit higher in pitch than it did before. ALWAYS PICK THE STRING with your right hand AS YOU ADJUST THE MACHINE HEAD with your left hand. (So you can hear what's happening). Listen to the sound file again, and repeat the process until you think they sound the same. If your string sounds higher in pitch than the one on the sound file then adjust the machine head for that string so it lowers in pitch. Don't forget ... ALWAYS PICK THE STRING AS YOU TURN THE MACHINE HEAD........... Easy huh???!!! Now you've got over the first hurdle let's tune the fifth string. Instead of taking a reference note from the sound file, we'll take it from the guitar itself. Fret the fifth fret of the sixth string (in green on the diagram). Listen to the sound it makes. Now pick the open fifth string and listen to it's sound. They should be the same. If they are not, adjust the machine head for the fifth string until they have the same pitch. DON'T ADJUST THE MACHINE HEAD FOR THE SIXTH STRING......it took you long enough to get it in tune. Once your fifth string is in tune repeat the process tuning the open fourth string off the fifth fret fifth string (violet on the diagram), then the open third string off the fifth fret fourth string (in white). Now stop ... we can't make it too easy can we. The open second string is tuned off the FOURTH fret third string (the yellow one) just to make things more confusing, and the last one (the open first string) is tuned off the fifth fret again on the second string (in blue on the diagram).

Excercise 4 If you've got through that lot without pulling your hair out you can check each string against the ones on the sound file * for exercise 4. Why didn't we just do that in the first place? ... Because you've got to learn to tune up manually. One day I might not be there to hold your hand!

As I mentioned earlier there are other ways to tune up a guitar but we'll talk about them later. I'd suggest starting at this page every time you begin a session until you've got the hang of it yourself. If you think you're in tune go to the next page and we'll learn some chords. If you're not in tune take your guitar to a friend who knows how to tune it, or to a music shop, or something....you'll find a way... then go to the next page.

 
next page

 
previous page

home | lessons | sound files | off-line | chords | glossary | links | bookstore | guestbook

---

Copyright ©1997 Kim Wainwright.