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how to tune a guitar
Tuning your instrument is one of the first skills you will need once you start learning to play the guitar.
Here's are our instructions about some of the most commonly used guitar tuning techniques.
Here's are our instructions about some of the most commonly used guitar tuning techniques.
Tuning a Guitar With A chromatic Tuner
Step 1: Tune each string to their proper pitch and note name. Start with your low E string first to get the note near to Low E at 82.4Hz. After you get close to the desired Low E note, slow the tuning process and fine-tune the note so that it gets almost exactly or as close to Low E (84.2 Hz) as possible.
Step 2: Once the tuner is displaying the correct note name for the string you are tuning, you can fine-tune each note by slowly turning the tuning key. When you're in tune, the needle indicator will be showing in the middle, and the center LED lights up 'Green'.
Step 3: Repeat this process for the notes of the other five strings, A, D, G, B, & E.
Note: If you're a beginner, it's really important that you know what note each string on your instrument is. Learn this at the outset and this will get you out of trouble when tuning your guitar with a chromatic tuner.
Step 2: Once the tuner is displaying the correct note name for the string you are tuning, you can fine-tune each note by slowly turning the tuning key. When you're in tune, the needle indicator will be showing in the middle, and the center LED lights up 'Green'.
Step 3: Repeat this process for the notes of the other five strings, A, D, G, B, & E.
Note: If you're a beginner, it's really important that you know what note each string on your instrument is. Learn this at the outset and this will get you out of trouble when tuning your guitar with a chromatic tuner.
Tuning a Guitar With A chromatic Tuner app for phone or tablet
Mallaby Guitars prefer to use and display the BOSS ROLAND tuning app. Available at the App Store and Google Play.
Following the same steps as the chromatic tuner example above using the mic in your device, you can tune a guitar, bass, and other instruments. You can also use it to check pitch accuracy as you practice singing. In addition to chromatic tuning, the app can also make digital sound reference pitches for tuning by ear.
Step 1: Tune each string to their correct pitch and note name. Start with your low E string first to get the note near to Low E at 82.4Hz. After you get the string close to the desired Low E note, slow down the tuning process and fine-tune the note so that it gets almost exactly or as close to Low E (84.2 Hz) as possible.
Step 2: Once the tuner is displaying the correct note name for the string you are tuning, you can fine-tune each note by slowly turning the tuning key until the needle or LED indicator is showing in the middle, or the LED has lit up.
Step 3: Repeat this process for the notes of the other five strings, A, D, G, B, & E.
NOTE: There are many different Phone / Device Apps available, each having their own settings, functions and configurations to choose from depending on which App/s you decide to download from the Android Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
You may want to spend a bit of time googling the different tuner apps available to find out about the differing functionalities on offer from app to app, and to explore which type of guitar or instrument tuner app is going to best suit your needs.
Step 1: Tune each string to their correct pitch and note name. Start with your low E string first to get the note near to Low E at 82.4Hz. After you get the string close to the desired Low E note, slow down the tuning process and fine-tune the note so that it gets almost exactly or as close to Low E (84.2 Hz) as possible.
Step 2: Once the tuner is displaying the correct note name for the string you are tuning, you can fine-tune each note by slowly turning the tuning key until the needle or LED indicator is showing in the middle, or the LED has lit up.
Step 3: Repeat this process for the notes of the other five strings, A, D, G, B, & E.
NOTE: There are many different Phone / Device Apps available, each having their own settings, functions and configurations to choose from depending on which App/s you decide to download from the Android Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
You may want to spend a bit of time googling the different tuner apps available to find out about the differing functionalities on offer from app to app, and to explore which type of guitar or instrument tuner app is going to best suit your needs.
The open strings, their names & frequencies
Tuning Your Guitar By Ear
Tuning a guitar by ear can be a challenge at first but if you're happy with the sound of your Low E/6th string, or if one of your open strings is in tune with the same note on a piano or another instrument, then you can use The 5th Fret Tuning Method to tune the rest of the strings on your guitar.
How To Use The 5th Fret Tuning Method:
Tuning The Low E/6th String:
To begin tuning, the Low E/6th string on your guitar needs to be already in tune. You can do this by using a another guitar or another in-tune instrument such as a piano (if there is one available) to find the correct pitch to tune your Low E/6th string to.
Tuning The A/5th String:
After tuning the Low E/6th string (the thickest string), tune up the A/5th string. Begin by placing your finger on the fifth fret of the low E/6th string which is the A note (See above fret board diagram). Play the 6th string while holding the A note on the 5th fret down, immediately followed by the next A 5th (open) string and then listen to what the sound is of the next string (open 5th/A string.) If it's in tune, the two pitches should the same. If it's not in tune, you will hear a wobble in sound as the pitches clash. You will now need to determine if the open A string note is higher or lower that the note being played on the fifth fret of the 6th string and you will need to adjust the machine head tuner peg and the note of the open A string up or down until the two notes sound the same.
Tip: You should always tune up to the desired note, so turn the peg to lower than the desired note, then turn the tuning peg to tune the string up to the correct pitch. Tuning each string up to the correct note, instead of down, helps to keep the strings in tension and in tune longer.
The fifth fret of the 5th string is the same note as the open D/4th string, the fifth fret of the 4th string is the same note as the open G/3rd string. Tune these strings using the same 5th fret note exchange method as before.
Tuning The B (2nd) String:
Tuning the B/2nd string is different to the other strings as there is one less semi-tone (fret spacing) needed to be played
on the G/3rd string to get to the B note. To find the B note on the G/3rd string, play the fourth fret on the G/3rd string
instead of the fifth fret. This is the B note. (See above fret board diagram). Now you can tune the open B/2nd string up or down to match the pitch of the B note on the fourth fret of the G/3rd string.
Tuning The High E (1st) String:
Tuning the High E string reverts to using the 5th fret method and the 5th fret of the B/2nd string to tune the E/1st string.
Play the note on the fifth fret of the B/2nd string. This is the High E note. (See above fret board diagram). Now while playing the E note on the fifth fret of the B/2nd string, you can tune the pitch of the open E/1st string up (or down) to sound exactly like the E note on the fifth fret of the B/2nd string.
NOTE:
After you've finished tuning up the E/1st string, then go back and double check the tuning of all the strings. Go through all the strings again from the Low E string to the High E string to fine-tune them. This allows you to double-check that the strings are staying in tune.
Tuning The Low E/6th String:
To begin tuning, the Low E/6th string on your guitar needs to be already in tune. You can do this by using a another guitar or another in-tune instrument such as a piano (if there is one available) to find the correct pitch to tune your Low E/6th string to.
Tuning The A/5th String:
After tuning the Low E/6th string (the thickest string), tune up the A/5th string. Begin by placing your finger on the fifth fret of the low E/6th string which is the A note (See above fret board diagram). Play the 6th string while holding the A note on the 5th fret down, immediately followed by the next A 5th (open) string and then listen to what the sound is of the next string (open 5th/A string.) If it's in tune, the two pitches should the same. If it's not in tune, you will hear a wobble in sound as the pitches clash. You will now need to determine if the open A string note is higher or lower that the note being played on the fifth fret of the 6th string and you will need to adjust the machine head tuner peg and the note of the open A string up or down until the two notes sound the same.
Tip: You should always tune up to the desired note, so turn the peg to lower than the desired note, then turn the tuning peg to tune the string up to the correct pitch. Tuning each string up to the correct note, instead of down, helps to keep the strings in tension and in tune longer.
The fifth fret of the 5th string is the same note as the open D/4th string, the fifth fret of the 4th string is the same note as the open G/3rd string. Tune these strings using the same 5th fret note exchange method as before.
Tuning The B (2nd) String:
Tuning the B/2nd string is different to the other strings as there is one less semi-tone (fret spacing) needed to be played
on the G/3rd string to get to the B note. To find the B note on the G/3rd string, play the fourth fret on the G/3rd string
instead of the fifth fret. This is the B note. (See above fret board diagram). Now you can tune the open B/2nd string up or down to match the pitch of the B note on the fourth fret of the G/3rd string.
Tuning The High E (1st) String:
Tuning the High E string reverts to using the 5th fret method and the 5th fret of the B/2nd string to tune the E/1st string.
Play the note on the fifth fret of the B/2nd string. This is the High E note. (See above fret board diagram). Now while playing the E note on the fifth fret of the B/2nd string, you can tune the pitch of the open E/1st string up (or down) to sound exactly like the E note on the fifth fret of the B/2nd string.
NOTE:
After you've finished tuning up the E/1st string, then go back and double check the tuning of all the strings. Go through all the strings again from the Low E string to the High E string to fine-tune them. This allows you to double-check that the strings are staying in tune.
Tuning from a piano
If you have a piano or access to one you can tune your guitar to the relative notes on the piano. Looking at the diagram below, locate Middle C note on your piano. This is the white note directly before the two black keys in the middle of the keyboard. Go up two white notes to the E note. This is directly to the right of two black keys, and you can tune your HIgh E/1st string to this note. Then go back down through Middle C to one note below C where you'll find B. Tune your B/2nd string to this note. Two notes below that is G. Tune your G/3rd string to this note. One note up from Middle C is D. Tune your D/4th string to this. Then go back down 3 steps to A. Tune your A/5th string to this. Finally, from A, go down a further 3 steps to E. Tune your Low E/6th string to this note. And there you have it. All the strings of your guitar on the keyboard.
tip 1: stretch your strings in
It's quite common to find that new strings have trouble staying in tune while they're still settling in. When re-stringing your guitar, stretching out your new strings can help alleviate this problem. To stretch each string properly, place one hand over or just below the nut to keep the strings seated in the string grooves. With the other hand take each string, one at a time, near the 12th fret (which is the centre of your string from your nut to your bridge), and pull it approximately one inch up from the fingerboard and away from the neck of the guitar. Stretching out your new strings will help to take up any slack from the strings, the machine heads and bridge piece. Give each string a gentle tug, as described above, about 7-10 times. After stretching in each string you'll need to re-tune and repeat the process until each string stays in tune.
tip 2: changing string tension
If you change the gauge of your strings , the tension on the neck will be different resulting in your guitar slipping out of tune. Changing the string tension will change the tension on the neck and truss rod which may cause the neck to bow. If the string tension is too high, the neck will bow under and the strings will feel high over the frets making the neck and strings feel difficult to play. If the string tension is decreased and becomes too low, the neck will bow back which will cause the strings to sit low over the frets and the neck, and may cause fret buzz. If you want to change string size, gauge, tension without causing damage to your guitar, contact your local guitar technician to have them adjust the truss rod and neck to the correct tension for your new gauge of string.
tip 3: How Often Should I Tune my Guitar?
Several conditions can cause a guitar to go out of tune such as travel, temperature and weather changes, worn parts, and even simply playing can cause the tuning to alter. Make sure you check your tuning each time before you play and if you have any constant problems with your guitar slipping out of tune, consult your local guitar technician.
tip 4: Tuner Calibration
Some tuners have a calibration setting on them. Standard concert pitch is A=440. Set the tuner for that and all will be good. Each click of the calibrate button(s) will either raise (>) or lower (<) the note by a half step (one fret on the guitar).