How to tune a guitar, with or without a tuner

The notes of the six strings

Strings are numbered from the thinnest (1) to the thickest (6). When you hold the guitar, the 6th string is on top, closest to your face.

1. 6th string: low E
2. 5th string: A
3. 4th string: D
4. 3rd string: G
5. 2nd string: B
6. 1st string: high E, two octaves above the 6th

A handy way to remember the order, low to high: "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie." The two E strings share a name but not a pitch. Tuners often add a number to tell them apart: E2 for the low E, E4 for the high E.

Using a tuner, step by step

1. Find a quiet spot. A tuner's or phone's mic hears everything: the TV, a conversation, another instrument.
2. Start with the 6th string. Pluck it once, firmly but without slapping it, and let it ring.
3. Read the note on screen. If the tuner shows a note other than E, you're way off: turn the tuning peg slowly until E appears.
4. Fine-tune. Too low (flat), tighten the string. Too high (sharp), loosen it. Stop when the needle sits in the center.
5. Move to the next string, all the way to the 1st.
6. Go around one more time. Tightening a string pulls on the neck and shifts the others slightly. A second pass is almost always needed.

A luthier's habit: always finish by tuning up to the note. If you overshoot, drop a little below and come back up. The string holds its pitch better, because the slack in the tuning gear is taken up in the right direction.

Fredon's tuner draws your instrument's headstock: the string you're playing lights up, and the app tells you whether to tighten or loosen it. Handy when you're not sure yet which peg goes with which string.

What about "440 Hz"?

That's the reference frequency for A, the one almost every tuner and almost every recording uses. Stick with it, unless you're playing with an instrument tuned differently (some orchestras and pianos sit at 442 Hz). In that case, set your tuner's reference to the same value.

By ear: the 5th fret method

No tuner? You can tune the guitar to itself. The idea: on most strings, the note at the 5th fret is the same as the next string open.

1. Start from the 6th string, which is your reference. If you can, tune it to a reliable note first (piano, tuning fork, another guitar).
2. Play the 6th string at the 5th fret: that's an A. Tune the open 5th string to it.
3. Play the 5th string at the 5th fret: that's a D. Tune the open 4th string.
4. Play the 4th string at the 5th fret: that's a G. Tune the open 3rd string.
5. The exception: play the 3rd string at the 4th fret: that's a B. Tune the open 2nd string.
6. Play the 2nd string at the 5th fret: that's an E. Tune the open 1st string.

How do you know two notes match? Play them together. As long as they're slightly apart, you'll hear a wobble, a steady "wah-wah-wah." The slower it gets, the closer you are. When it disappears, you're in tune.

If you only have one reference note, make it an A: the 1st string at the 5th fret gives you the A 440 Hz of a standard tuning fork.

This method has one weakness: every small error adds up. At the end, check that the open 1st and 6th strings, played together, sound like two clean E's with no wobble.

Check with a chord

Play an E major, then a D and a C. If one sounds off and the others don't, hunt down the guilty string one at a time. A guitar can seem in tune string by string and still sound slightly off in chords if the strings are worn out: in that case, change them.

Common tunings

Standard tuning isn't the only one. Here are the ones you'll run into most, from the 6th string to the 1st:

• Standard: E A D G B E.
• Half step down: E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭. Every string drops a half step. Very common in rock, and with singers who want to ease the strain on their voice.
• Drop D: D A D G B E. Only the 6th string drops a whole step, from E to D. To tune it, compare it with the open 4th string: they should sound an octave apart.
• DADGAD: D A D G A D. The 6th, 2nd and 1st strings drop a whole step. The sound of Celtic music and a lot of acoustic folk.
• Open G: D G D G B D. The 6th, 5th and 1st strings drop a whole step. Strummed open, the guitar plays a G chord. Perfect for slide and blues.
• Open D: D A D F♯ A D. The 6th, 2nd and 1st strings drop a whole step, and the 3rd a half step. Strummed open, it's a D chord.

Chord shapes change when you change tunings. The alternate guitar tunings guide gives the basic shapes for each. Fredon handles all of them: pick the tuning in the app, and the tuner and fingerings follow.

Mistakes that keep coming back

• Turning the wrong peg. The classic. Follow the string from the nut to its peg before you turn, and keep plucking while you turn so you hear the pitch move.
• Tuning an octave too high. The tuner shows the right note name, but the string is way too tight and eventually snaps. If a string feels very stiff under your finger, compare it with the others.
• Plucking too hard. A string hit hard rings slightly sharp at first. Pluck normally and read the tuner once the sound settles.
• Forgetting about new strings. They keep stretching for several days. Retune often, and gently pull each string away from the fretboard after putting it on to speed things up.
• Tuning with a capo on. Tune open first, put the capo on, then check: it can pull some strings slightly sharp. See the capo guide.
• A tuner set to something else. Bass mode, ukulele mode, a 432 Hz reference: check the settings if everything seems shifted.

FAQ

How often should I tune my guitar?

Every time you pick it up. It takes a minute and makes all the difference, especially for a beginner's ear, which gets used to whatever it hears.

Why does my guitar keep going out of tune?

New strings, changes in temperature or humidity, worn tuners, or strings badly wound around the post. When you bring the guitar into a different room, give it a few minutes to adjust before tuning.

What's next?

Once your guitar is in tune, move on to the 8 beginner guitar chords.

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