How to Tune a Guitar

Tune is a frequent word used in the world of guitar. One might ask when will be the necessary time to tune your guitar and how often? Truthfully, the tuning is like a routine thing whenever you pick up your guitar. For beginner, it may take as long as five minutes for tuning but it gets quicker after you've familiarize yourself with the tone. Regular guitarists can tune their instrument around 30 seconds.

It is advisable for you to find a "reference pitch" from another basis such as other music instruments, tuning fork or other items capable of creating different tones. However, you must take notes when you are tuning with another instrument not relating to guitar pitch it might sound out-of-tune. The most important part when making sure the tune is standardize with your guitar tune is finding the same sounds created from E note with other instrument.

Let's have a quick view of the strings available on an ordinary guitar. There are six open strings which stand as E A D G B and E. Observe your guitar and find the sixth string which is the E string as it is the first string that need to be tuned before further down to fifth and so on ( assuming it has already been tuned). Using this string as the basis and with the help of reference pitch we can work on the tune all the way to note A, on the fifth fret. Now we can play this open fifth string, also known as A and check if it is parallel to the note on sixth string. When is done, it is time to fully tune your guitar in the guide below.

Steps in Tuning the Guitar
1. As mentioned, the first string that must be in tuned is the sixth string, E.
2. Once it's done, play the sixth string, fifth fret, A. Tune the open fifth string A until it sounds similar to fifth fret.
3. Play the fifth string, fifth fret, D. Tune the open fourth string D until it sounds similar to fifth fret.
4. Play the fourth string, fifth fret, G. Tune the open third string G until it sounds similar to fifth fret.
5. Play the third string, fourth fret, B. Tune the open second string B until it sounds similar to fourth fret.
6. Play the second string, fifth fret, E. Tune the open first string E until it sounds similar to fifth fret.

There are times when the beginners find it hard to determine whether the sound of two notes is higher or lower. They can only recognize the sounds are not the same. In order to help recognize the pitch of the sounds, try humming the note while it is still ringing. This goes to the same as the second note and try hum the note while it's still making sound. By now, you can tell whether your voice goes up or down. If your voice went down, it means the note is lower pitch. It might sound ridiculous but it works like a charm most of the time. Go and grab your guitar and start tuning. Have fun!