Guitar tuning guide: How to tune a guitar

By: Mantius Cazaubon

Many beginning guitarists struggle when it comes to tuning the
guitar. It's a major stumbling block for them. Some end up
quitting altogether because every time they start to play what
comes out doesn't sound right. A beginner should understand that
guitar tuning is something you get better at with practice. Ear
development takes time.

A beginner should practice tuning the guitar so that he can
become better and better at it. Your friends won't be around all
the time to tune your guitar for you.

How does one tune the guitar?

Well firstly, here's the standard tuning of a six string guitar:

6th string: E 5th string: A 4th string: D 3rd string: G 2nd
string: B 1st string: E

The first string being the thinnest, and the sixth string the
fattest.

Relative tuning: tuning an electric guitar by ear.

Let's assume that your 6th string is already in tune (an E
note). You can tune your 6th string by using another guitar that
is in tune, a tuning fork, a piano, an electronic tuner or even
a midi file on your computer. Then, all you have to do is match
notes on the adjacent strings.

Play the 6th string at the 5th fret. It should match the tone of
the 5th string open.

Play the 5th string at the 5th fret. It should match the tone of
the 4th string open.

Play the 4th string at the 5th fret. It should match the tone of
the 3rd string open.

Play the 3rd string at the 4th fret. It should match the tone of
the 2nd string open.

Play the 2nd string at the 5th fret. It should match the tone of
the 1st string open.

You can also tune your guitar by octaves.

An octave is the interval between two notes with the same name.
In the scale: C D E F G A B C, the two C's are one octave apart.

Play the 6th string open. It should be one octave apart with the
5th string at the 7th fret.

Play the 5th string open. It should be one octave apart with the
4th string at the 7th fret.

Play the 4th string open. It should be one octave apart with 3rd
string at the 7th fret.

Play the 3rd string open. It should be one octave apart with the
2nd string at the 8th fret.

Play the 2nd string open. It should be one octave apart with the
1st string at the 7th fret.

When your ear is sufficiently developed you should be able to
tune your guitar by using chords. Just play a chord and tune the
strings so the chord sounds right.

Learning to tune the guitar is very important. A must! But it is
so much more convenient, faster, and more accurate to make use
of a guitar tuner. Particularly in live situations and noisy
environments. You will find an electronic tuner for 10-50 bucks
online easily. You can order one today.

About the author:
Mantius Cazaubon offers a buying guide to help you choose an
electric guitar that meets your needs on his site,
http://www.electric-guitars-guide.com Visit Electric Guitars Guide.com for electric guitar lessons,
tips, and reviews.