How to tune a guitar

Standard tuning at a glance

Almost every song, lesson and chord chart assumes standard tuning: E A D G B E, from the thickest string (6th) to the thinnest (1st). A common memory aid is “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie”. The two E strings are two octaves apart.

Guitar music is written an octave higher than it sounds, which is why sheet music shows the low E on the bottom of the staff rather than far below it. You don’t need to worry about that to tune — the tuner shows the note name and the octave. For the full list of notes on every string, see the standard tuning page.

How to tune with a tuner

A chromatic tuner listens to one string at a time and shows how far the note is from the nearest pitch, usually in cents (hundredths of a semitone). Anything within ±3 cents sounds in tune to almost everyone; ±1 cent is studio-tight.

1. Open a tuner — a clip-on, a pedal, or the free online guitar tuner that uses your microphone.
2. Play the low E string open (no fingers on the frets) and let it ring. Pick firmly, then keep your hands still.
3. Read the note. If it shows E but the needle is left of centre, the string is flat (too low): tighten it. Right of centre is sharp (too high): loosen it.
4. Turn the tuning peg in small movements and pluck again. Most tuners react in a fraction of a second.
5. Repeat for A, D, G, B and high E.
6. Go back and check all six strings once more. Tuning one string changes the tension on the neck slightly, so the first pass is rarely perfect, especially with new strings or a floating tremolo.

Always tune up to the note. If a string is sharp, drop it below the target and bring it back up. Tuning upward leaves the string wound tightly around the post, so it holds pitch instead of slipping flat a minute later.

If the tuner shows the wrong note

If the tuner says D♯ when you expect E, the string is about a semitone flat — tighten it until the display changes to E, then fine-tune. If it shows a completely different note (say, A on your low E), you may be reading a harmonic: mute the other strings with your fretting hand, pluck a little closer to the neck, and try again.

How to tune by ear (relative tuning)

No tuner? You can tune the strings to each other. The result is in tune with itself, which is what matters when you play alone. Start with the low E as close to correct as you can — from a piano, a recording or a reference tone — then:

1. Press the low E string at the 5th fret. That note is A. Tune the open A string until it matches.
2. Press the A string at the 5th fret (D) and tune the open D string to it.
3. Press the D string at the 5th fret (G) and tune the open G string.
4. Press the G string at the 4th fret (B) — this is the one exception — and tune the open B string.
5. Press the B string at the 5th fret (E) and tune the high E string.

When two notes are almost the same you will hear a slow wobble, called beating. The slower the wobble, the closer they are; when it disappears, the strings match. Listening for beating is the single most useful tuning skill you can develop, and it trains your ear for intervals and chords at the same time.

Checking with harmonics

Harmonics give a clearer, longer tone. Lightly touch (don’t press) the low E string directly above the 5th fret and pluck: you get a bell-like E. Do the same on the A string above the 7th fret. Those two harmonics should be the same pitch. The same 5th/7th pair works for A–D, D–G and B–E. Harmonics are great for fine adjustments but slightly unreliable for the G–B pair, so use the fretted method there.

Tuning other instruments and tunings

• Bass guitar: the same four lowest notes, an octave lower: E1 A1 D2 G2. See how to tune a bass or use the bass tuner.
• Ukulele: G C E A, with a high (re-entrant) G. See how to tune a ukulele.
• Drop D, half-step down, DADGAD, open G: all start from standard tuning and change one or more strings. The alternate tunings guide shows every note and how to get there safely.

Why your guitar won’t stay in tune

Getting the last cent right

A few habits separate “close enough” from properly in tune:

• Tune in the position you play. Sitting versus standing and the pressure of your arm on the body change pitch slightly on many guitars.
• Let the attack pass. A string is sharp for the first instant after you pick it. Read the tuner after the note settles.
• Pick with the same strength you play with. Very hard attacks push the pitch up.
• Check a chord at the end. Strum an open E or G major. If it sounds sweet, you are done; if one note sticks out, check that string again.
• Use the right reference. Concert pitch is A4 = 440 Hz. If you play with a piano tuned to 442 Hz, set your tuner’s reference to match.

A one-minute tuning routine

Every time you pick up the guitar: tune all six strings with the tuner, check them a second time, then strum one chord to confirm. That minute is the cheapest improvement in sound you will ever make, and it gets faster every day. Then warm up with a daily practice routine.