Guitar Tricks Online Guitar Lessons

Tuning Your Guitar

 
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Now it's time to get your guitar in tune, and there are a million different ways to do this. I'll go ahead with the simplest and quickest way right now so that we can get to the actual playing. If for any reason this does not work for you, there's a comprehensive tutorial on tuning in the trouble-shooting chapter that you can reference at any time. But chances are you'll be just fine with this lesson! And maybe you already know how to tune in which case you can skip this lesson.

Instructor Anders Mouridsen
Tutorial:
Tuning And Playing Notes
Styles:
Any Style
Difficulty:
print notation download lesson open guitar tuner
Tuning Your Guitar song notation

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Questions & Answers

4 weeks ago
Is there a chance to see subtitle on the videos?
Mike Olekshy 3 weeks ago

Hey there - thanks so much for your question! That feature is currently not supported on our videos - but I'll reach out to admin to see if it is something that can be added in the future. Thanks for the request!

1 month ago
is the tuning supposed to be exact on
Mike Olekshy 1 month ago

Hey there - thanks so much for your question! Yes, you definitely want to be as accurate as possible with your tuning. It may take you a little while to get it perfect at first, but the more you do it, the faster you can get at tuning your guitar accurately. Stick with it - it will come!!! Hope this helps!!

1 year ago
I'm trying to tune the lower E string but I keep hearing a buzz sound or like the string is hitting against something, is that normal? I have a Yahama Pacifica 112v and no amp. Is it the lack of amp that makes it that way?
Mike Olekshy 1 year ago

Hello - thanks for your question! Yes, there might be a little bit of buzz on the low string that doesn't necessarily get amplified through an amp, so it could be the lack of amp that's making that revealed. However, it might not be a bad idea to take the guitar for a professional setup, if you happen to have a guitar repair shop near you. A professional tech would be able to identify whether the low E string buzz is a larger problem or not. Hope this helps!

1 year ago
The lower E that is being taught is the top guitar string. Its confusing because the notes show it on the bottom which would seem like its the bottom string
Mike Olekshy 1 year ago

Hello - thanks for your comment. Indeed, this is very confusing at first. The low E is NOT the top string. It is always referred to as the LOW STRING. It's confusing because that string is at the "top" of the guitar, depending on how you're looking at the guitar. Tablature is laid out as if you are looking over the neck at the fretboard in sitting position. So the low E string is the bottom line of tab. Hope this helps!

1 year ago
On the guitar tuner application, the notes have numbers beside them. My Low E is currently E2, for example. What does that represent?
Mike Olekshy 1 year ago

Hello - thanks so much for your question! The number refers to which octave the note belongs to. In this example, E2 means - E, second octave. So, for example, the pitch we tune the low E string to can be found on the piano in the 2nd octave. Hope this helps!

2 years ago
Hi, How do I download the lessons?
Josh Workman 2 years ago

It’s super easy. Just click on the button that says "Download Lesson" located below the video. It’s right there with the “Favorite” and “Print” buttons. The ability to download videos is only available to Full Access subscribers.

2 years ago
The tuning video has confused me. Do I assume I have to use a guitar tuner or always refer back to the video and listen to the tones in the video
Josh Workman 2 years ago

Hi, you can tune your guitar in many different ways. Anders is just showing how to match pitches by ear. There are tuners (and phone apps/websites) that will actually play the same pitches that he does out loud, too. So, you don't need to refer back to his video. If you decide to use a tuner that helps you tune visually, I would get the notes close by listening to the pitches the first time, then use the tuner (if you choose) after that. Sometimes beginners use a tuner without listening to the notes and end up breaking strings by tuning to the correct note (say E) but an octave higher than it should be.

2 years ago
Hi. I'm new with you as I'm just starting to learn the guitar. If I understood well the notation of the guitar, the middle C is played at the 8th flet of the E string. If that is corrected; and after tunned the guitar, why that note sounds the same as the C3 in the piano (the 3rd C from the left in a 88-key piano), when the middle C in such piano is the C4? Thanks a lot to any help you can give me to answer this doubt.
Josh Workman 2 years ago

Hi, good question. This has to do with finding the right octave to read music on just one staff, instead of using the Grand Staff, in the same way that singers often transpose music an octave or how a tenor sax reads an octave plus a 2nd above the concert pitch. Actually, I just found a GT post about this that should help: https://www.guitartricks.com/forum/t/29368/p/239281 Hope this helps!