Those who are new to playing the guitar are often so anxious to get started that they don't learn to tune properly. Certainly you should take the time to learn to tune your guitar by ear for many reasons. One of these is that there are times when tuners are not available. Ear tuning is actually quite simple and often times much faster too. Sometimes this type of tuning is necessary to make small adjustments quickly. It takes very little time and effort to learn.
Over time, players become quite proficient in hearing a note when it is in tune as well as when it is not. It can be quite a challenge however to tune each of the six strings individually by simply hearing the note. The first step is to get the low E string tuned. Doing so by ear may mean the pitch isn't perfect, but beginners are typically surprised at how close they can get.
Once the low E is tuned, each of the other strings can be tuned, one at a time, based on the sound of the string above it. Once the low E is tuned, placing a finger on that string in the fifth fret produces an A. This is what the fifth string should be tuned to. Make certain the fifth string, when played open, sounds like the sixth string when played on the fifth fret.
Follow this same procedure for the fourth string. Its pitch is the D note, and it should sound the same as the fifth string played in the fifth fret when strummed open. Moving down again, the third string, when played open, is G. This is the note the fourth string produces when played on the fifth fret.
Now, the second string is a B. To get the B note on the third string it should be played on the fourth fret. This is the only exception to the pattern. The G string plays a B note on the fourth fret, and this is the tone the second string should be matched to.
Finally, playing the second string on the fifth fret produces high E. The first string should be tuned to this note. Confirm that the sixth and first strings sound the same. They should both be tuned to E with the first string a single octave higher than the sixth.
Over time this method of tuning will become quite simple. When you learn to tune your guitar by ear in this way you will find getting in tune and saying in tune is fairly simple. And, since each string is relative to the same note from the fifth or fourth fret above it, the guitar will sound great even if it is not perfectly tuned as a whole.
Over time, players become quite proficient in hearing a note when it is in tune as well as when it is not. It can be quite a challenge however to tune each of the six strings individually by simply hearing the note. The first step is to get the low E string tuned. Doing so by ear may mean the pitch isn't perfect, but beginners are typically surprised at how close they can get.
Once the low E is tuned, each of the other strings can be tuned, one at a time, based on the sound of the string above it. Once the low E is tuned, placing a finger on that string in the fifth fret produces an A. This is what the fifth string should be tuned to. Make certain the fifth string, when played open, sounds like the sixth string when played on the fifth fret.
Follow this same procedure for the fourth string. Its pitch is the D note, and it should sound the same as the fifth string played in the fifth fret when strummed open. Moving down again, the third string, when played open, is G. This is the note the fourth string produces when played on the fifth fret.
Now, the second string is a B. To get the B note on the third string it should be played on the fourth fret. This is the only exception to the pattern. The G string plays a B note on the fourth fret, and this is the tone the second string should be matched to.
Finally, playing the second string on the fifth fret produces high E. The first string should be tuned to this note. Confirm that the sixth and first strings sound the same. They should both be tuned to E with the first string a single octave higher than the sixth.
Over time this method of tuning will become quite simple. When you learn to tune your guitar by ear in this way you will find getting in tune and saying in tune is fairly simple. And, since each string is relative to the same note from the fifth or fourth fret above it, the guitar will sound great even if it is not perfectly tuned as a whole.
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