How to Tune a Guitar: Easy Beginner’s Guide

1. What Is Standard Tuning on a Guitar?
2. How to Tune a Guitar without a Tuner?
3. How to Tune an Еlectric Guitar?

Every time you pick up this implement, make sure it is tuned in. Why is this so important? On a frustrated instrument, you will not be able to get the right notes, and this is very risky for a beginner. Lack of tuning is a serious barrier to learning, as the incorrect sound of notes will also annoy and nervous you.

Why not take some time and devote it to mastering the setup process so that the skill becomes automatic?

What Is Standard Tuning on a Guitar?

An instrument that is hard to play or won't stay in tune will deter even the most enthusiastic beginner. If you take this musical tool for the first time, then of course, it is more reliable to use а tuner to set it up. Most beginners resort to an electronic adjuster, app, camertone or other devices. There are several types of customizers.

• The chromatic adjuster can match any halftone of the chromatic scale – there are only 12 of them. Therefore, it is suitable for tuning any chord instrument: bass guitar, 12 string classics, ukulele, cello, violin, etc. 
• Non-chromatic adjuster is able to determine compliance only with the standard line of 6-string guitar (EADGBE), that is, 6 notes. It cannot define other notes, so it is not suitable for customizing this instrument with a non-standard line or other string instruments.
• Strobe tuners are considered the most accurate. They determine the frequency of the sound wave oscillations and compare it with the reference value of the corresponding note. They connect to your instrument with a normal jack.

• Acoustic customizers with a built-in microphone are actually able to «hear» the sound of your musical tool, so if it was tuned by a professional musician for hearing. The obvious disadvantage of this type of adjuster is the sensitivity of the built-in microphone to external noise, which greatly complicates the tuning process with other musicians or in noisy places.
• Virtual customizers, and online-tuners, allow you to configure your tool thanks to a microphone of your gadget and the corresponding application. Of course, this type is more than available, but there are many complaints about the accuracy of this setting.

Read more: How to Play Piano Scales?

How to Tune a Guitar without a Tuner?

There is no better method than the help of a teacher. So you will master this skill in one or two lessons, and will skillfully customize a tool by yourself. Otherwise, you will waste a lot of time and will still have doubts. One of the most popular in the USA and reliable tutoring sites where you will always find a professional teacher is UpskillsTutor. 

Usually, beginners are advised to start with the sixth string and move down. This is called E standard tuning. 

Cutting the length of the string by one fret corresponds to raising it's sound by half a tone. Thus, if the thickest string 6th is set to E, then when it is clamped on the first fret it will give F, on the second – F#, etc. The 5th string, set to A, when clamped on the first fret, will give A#, further B, etc. This principle is the basis for the correct adjustment. 

How to Tune an Electric Guitar?

You already know the guitar tuning strings order. But it would be better for a beginner to use an adjuster. An electric instrument is connected to a customizer with a cable that you also use to connect it to an amplifier. A string should be struck once or more times, and then wait for a customizer to respond. An adjuster shows what tone it recognized, and usually also on which string it assigns this tone (even if a string is debugged, a customizer determines the probable string to which a tone belongs).

The representation of this result depends on a customizer. A display with the help of an indicator needle, however, is particularly popular. If a needle is in the middle of the display, a string is set correctly, if a needle is on the left, a string is set too low. If a needle is on the right, a string is set too high.

Nevertheless, it is better to take at least a couple of lessons from a tutor at the initial stage. If you combine the knowledge gained yourself, with the tutor’s instructions, the result will be brilliant. Because you involve your own work and effort in the studying process. 

Read more: How to Start Playing Guitar: Beginner Chords Guide