How to Tune a Guitar
Setting up the guitar is the first thing you need to master on your way, it's important to learn how to tune your guitar. The instrument can easily fall due to changes in temperature, environment and regular play and when this happens you will hear that your songs seem to be off. Guitar strings do not fail at the same speed, so it's important to know how each line should sound in harmony.
Guitar Tuning Basics
Here are a few simple instructions that explain the most commonly used guitar tuning in the world.
Setting up the guitar involves setting up 6 strings on the instrument. Standard guitar tuning, starting with the thickest, the lowest line (6th string) on the top of the neck: E-A-D-G-B-E. The top line E is the thinnest, the highest line in the lower part of the neck - known as the 1st string, and all others follow its example.
Step 1: 6th line - E (the thickest)
Adjust the bottom line E as accurately as you can. If you do not have a tuner, you can use a virtual tuner for a guitar online.
Step 2: The 5th String - A
Place your index finger on the fifth fret of the bottom E string. That’s an A note. Keep your finger on that fret. Now pick the open fifth string and fretted six string in turn, gently adjusting the fifth string tuning peg until the two notes are in harmony. Tightening the peg will make the pitch higher, loosening the peg will make the pitch lower.
Step 3: The 4th String - D
Place your index finger on the the fifth fret of the A string. That’s a D note. Pluck the fretted 5th string and the open 4th string together or alternating between them and adjust the 4th string tuning peg until the pitch of the 4th string matches the pitch of the 5th fret of the 5th string.
Step 4: The 3rd String - G
Place your index finger on the fifth fret of the D string. That’s a G note. Pluck or alternate pick the fretted 4th and open 3rd strings, adjusting the 3rd string tuning peg until the 3rd string is in harmony with the 5th fret of the 4th string.
Step 5: The 2nd String - B
Place your index finger on the fourth fret of the G string. That's a B. Tune your 2nd string to that note.
Step 6: Tuning the E String
Place your index finger just behind the fifth fret on the B string. That’s a E note. Tune the thinnest and last string to that, again by adjusting the 1st string tuning peg until the pitch of the E string matches the 5th fret of the 2nd String.
This is the easiest way to set up a guitar that you can use anytime and anywhere. Click here to checkout our online guitar tuner.
How to Tune a Guitar with an Electric Tuner
This is one of the easiest ways to tune a guitar. Instead of using the strings to find the correct tones for other strings, an electric tuner will read and interpret the sound waves it picks up from your guitar and display in notes what it reads. Just turn on the tuner and strum the string. It’ll tell you if your guitar is in tune within a few a seconds.
How to Tune a Guitar by Ear
To tune a guitar the old-fashioned way, first tune the 6th string to low E. If you already know this pitch, tune on. You may want to go online to find samples of a low E. If you’re playing with others, you may want to have one person tune, then the rest tune to match that person’s tune.
Pluck your tuned low E string with your right hand (for right-handed, standard guitar players—lefties playing left-handed guitars should reverse this) while holding the string down with your left hand at the 5th fret (starting from the headstock, count 5 frets up toward the body.) The tone that emanates, because you are holding the string down at the 5th fret, will be an A.
Pluck the open string below it (“open” meaning, not holding down the string on any frets with your left hand) and turn the second tuning peg until your A string produces the same tone as your low E string when played at the 5th fret. Following suit, you’ll play the A string at the 5th fret to find the correct tone for the D string, the D string at the 5th fret to find the G string, but when you’re ready to tune your B string, you’ll play the G string at the 4th fret instead of the 5th.
To tune the last high E string, you’ll move back to the 5th fret where you’ll play the B string to find your high E tone. Got it? It’s pretty easy once you do it a couple of times. The down side to tuning your guitar this way is you may not be in “standard 440.” Tuning to A 440 assures you of being in tune with other guitars all around the world.
Source: Virtual musical instruments
Date: 2017-12-15 | Views: 13612
