
Learning to tune a guitar is an important skill and is necessary for learning how to play guitar.
Regular tuning helps you become more familiar with the correct sound of each string, which is
great for your overall guitar practice.
Guitar Tricks has made tuning your electric or acoustic guitar easier than ever with our free
online guitar tuner.
It features real guitar tones, so you'll know exactly how every string should sound.
It also lets you select from 6 different tunings making this the best guitar tuner online.
Having an in-tune guitar is the only way to learn how to play guitar.
Let’s get tuned up!
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How To Tune Your Guitar
Step 1) Turn up the volume on your computer and click on the tuning peg of the note you’d like to hear. This will play a reference tuning note through your computer speakers
Step 2) Play the corresponding string on your guitar to see if it’s in tune with the reference note
Step 3) If your guitar is off-pitch from the online guitar tuner, use the tuning pegs on your guitar’s headstock to adjust your guitar strings to be in tune with the reference notes.

Click the "strum" button to hear all six strings at once.
This is great for when you want to test a final tuning job.
The app defaults to standard tuning, which is what most guitarists use.
There is also a number of preset alternative tunings that are selectable from the drop down
menu in the "Select Tuning Sequence" box.
You can also adjust each reference note by half-steps via the plus/minus buttons next to each
tuning peg on the tuner.
This will be for alternate guitar tunings .
You can even do things like tune your guitar a half step down a la Hendrix or Cobain.
Tune your guitar’s strings to the corresponding strings on the online guitar tuner until your guitar
is in tune with the online guitar tuner.
How Often Should You Tune Your Guitar
Guitars should be tuned every time you pick it up to play.
No one wants to play guitar chords on an out-of-tune guitar.
With normal use, you can make it about an hour before you’d need to retune, depending on
what you are playing.
If you are taking some ripping solos with lots of bends, then you’ll probably need to re-tune
much more often.
During the winter months, you might notice that your guitar is very out of tune. This is because
of temperature extremes in and out of your home.
The weather will effect your guitar’s tuning, believe it or not!
So be sure to tune up every time you play.
Bookmark this free guitar tuner so you can quickly and easily tune up before you play
Changing Guitar Strings
You’ll typically need to tune your guitar a few times after changing your guitar strings.
This might seem intimidating to some, but it’s quite easy.
So grab your new strings, wire clippers, a string winder (optional), keep this online guitar tuner
open and we’ll show you how to change guitar strings.
First, loosen the strings to relieve the tension before cutting them.
Then, carefully remove the strings from both the tuning pegs and the bridge.
It’s time for the fun part—putting on the new strings.
Start with the high E string, making sure there's enough slack for a few winds on the tuner.
While winding, keep tension on the string to ensure it stays tight and in place.
Once all the strings are on, tune the guitar roughly and stretch the strings to help them settle in.
Finally, trim the excess string, leaving a little bit of length just in case there’s any slipping, or you
need to make an adjustment later.
That's it - your guitar is ready to play with fresh, shiny new strings.
Frequently Asked Questions
The correct tuning for a standard guitar is E-A-D-G-B-E, starting from the lowest (thickest) string to the highest (thinnest) string.
Normal guitar tuning, also known as standard tuning, is E-A-D-G-B-E. It's the most common tuning used in most styles of music.
A common saying to remember the strings in standard tuning is "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie," which corresponds to E-A-D-G-B-E
To really tune a guitar, you can use a digital tuner, a tuning app, or tune by ear using a reference pitch like another instrument or a pitch pipe
The most accurate way to tune a guitar is by using a high-quality digital tuner, which ensures each string is perfectly in tune
A guitar is almost never perfectly in tune across all strings and frets due to the limitations of the instrument's design, but you can get it close enough that it sounds great
You know your guitar is tuned properly when each string matches the correct pitch and the chords you play sound clean and in harmony. Using a tuner is the best way to check.