Tuning the guitar.

The first thing you need to do before you play is make sure your guitar is in tune.

Standard guitar tuning is E-A-D-G-B-E starting from the thickest string (the sixth string) down to the thinnest (the first string). There are many other tunings you can use but you don’t need to worry about those for now. The most valuable accessory a beginner can have is a Chromatic Tuner. They are cheap, easy to use and will make the task of tuning your guitar much easier but it’s still possible to tune a guitar without a tuner.

To adjust the pitch of the strings you turn the correct tuner/machinehead. Try this now. Slowly turn one of the machineheads while you pluck the string. turn it one way and then the other and you will hear the pitch move up and down.

Firstly you need to tune the 6th string to the correct pitch. You can do this with a reference note from another instrument, a tuning fork or an mp3 such as THIS. When you have been playing for a while you will be able to tune the 6th string to pretty much the right note without needing a reference.

Once the 6th string is in tune you press down on the 5th fret of the 6th string and pluck it with your right hand. This will produce and A note that you can use as a reference note for the 5th string. Tune the 5th string so that when you play it unfretted it sounds the same as your 6th string fretted at the 5th fret. Now you move down and repeat the same process with the other strings. So the 5th string fretted at the 5th freth gives you a D as a reference for your 4th string. Your 4th string fretted at the 5th fret gives you a G for your 3rd string. To tune your 2nd string however you need to fret the 3rd sting at the 4th fret instead of the 5th. Then to tune the first you fret the 2nd string at the 5th fret again.

It seems complicated at first but you soon get used to doing it. It’s also a good idea to tune up to the correct pitch rather than down. Tuning down leaves some slack on the string and usually makes it go out of tune the first time you bend a note so always tune up to pitch to help tuning stability. If you have followed the instructions correctly your guitar will now be in tune and will sound like THIS.