Having a slightly out-of-tune guitar can throw off your sense of pitch as well as trick you into thinking you’re not playing things properly.
In this guide, you’ll learn all of the ways you can tune your guitar. You can choose any of the methods covered in this guide or you can learn multiple methods – it’s up to you.
This guide covers tuning a six-string guitar but you can use the same methods for 7-string, 8-string, 12-string guitars, or even bass.
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While there are different ways you can tune an electric or acoustic guitar, they all lead to the same goal. The idea behind tuning your guitar is to tune each string to a specific pitch so when you play chords or riffs, they will sound correct.
Standard Tuning tunes the six strings on a guitar (from thickest to thinnest) to the pitches: E A D G B E.
As you can see in the above diagrams, both acoustic or electric guitars can be tuned to standard tuning. It doesn’t matter if all of the guitar’s tuning heads are on the same side or split over two sides of the headstock (learn the names of guitar parts in this guide).
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The thickest string on the guitar is the lowest sounding string and we tune that to E. Then the next string is tuned to A, then D, G, B, then finally E on the thinnest string.
If you’re a beginner, most of the music you will see will likely use Standard Tuning. So practice tuning your guitar to standard tuning following the methods covered in this guide.
There are a lot of different tunings for guitar and we these ‘Alternate tunings’. The most common alternate tuning is called ‘Drop D’, where we change the low E string down to D (we drop the E string).
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If you want to learn a song that uses a tuning other than standard tuning, the transcription or Guitar TAB should tell you what the tuning is.
For example, if the song you want to learn says it is in ‘Drop D’ tuning, you need to change your guitar’s tuning to Drop D Tuning or it won’t sound right.
Tuning your guitar in an alternate tuning isn’t any harder than tuning your guitar to standard tuning. You just need to know what to tune each string to and take your time tuning each string.
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Some alternate tunings may require you to change to thicker or thinner guitar strings. This usually happens when you need to tune the strings really low. A lower tuning (eg: Drop B) slackens the strings, so you need to use thicker strings for better tension.
There are a few different types of guitar tuners and the right type for you depends on what type of guitar you have and how you would like to tune your guitar.
Let’s have a quick look at the different types of tuners you can buy before we look at how to use each one. I’ll also explain how to tune your guitar without a tuner.
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For more information on tuners, check out the Best Guitar Tuners here. In the guide, I talk about features to consider and the best options for each type.
These small tuners have an inbuilt microphone to listen to your guitar, or you can plug a guitar into the input jack.
These tuners may suit some guitarists, but most guitarists will probably prefer using a clip-on tuner, tuner pedal, or smartphone app instead.
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Pedals like the above give you a quick way to check your tuning at any time by pressing the footswitch. They’re the go-to option for electric guitarists and incredibly handy if you plan on performing live.
Clip-on tuners can be handy for both acoustic or electric guitarists. You literally clip them onto your guitar’s headstock and it will sense the vibration in the guitar to detect your string’s pitch.
If you have a multi-effects pedal, it will likely have an inbuilt tuner you can use at any time. Most multi-effects pedals will activate a tuner when you hold down a specific footswitch.
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While I don’t suggest buying an amp just because it has an inbuilt tuner, it is handy if you don’t like the idea of having to use a pedal to tune your guitar.
You can use guitar tuner apps to tune either electric or acoustic guitar, but you need to be in a fairly quiet environment for the best results.
I’ll walk through the steps in tuning your guitar, then you can read the instructions on how to use this method with different types of tuners.
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Start by picking the thickest string closest to you when you hold your guitar. The thickest string on a six-string guitar is tuned to E in Standard Tuning.
If you see a different note name on your tuner (eg: D, F, or Eb instead of E), it means your string is way out-of-tune. Take note of whether you need to raise or lower the string to bring it to E. For example, if you see ‘D’ or ‘Eb’ on your tuner, D or ‘Eb’ are both lower than E, so you need to raise the string’s pitch to bring it up to E.
Slowly turn the string’s tuning head and listen to how the pitch changes. You should hear the pitch rise or fall. If you don’t hear any change in pitch, make sure you’re turning the correct tuning head. You may snap a string if you don’t realize you’re turning the wrong tuning head.
How To Tune An Electric Or Acoustic Guitar (all Methods Explained)
The direction you need to turn the tuning head depends on the type of guitar and the type of headstock. That’s why you should learn to listen to the string when adjusting the tuning to make sure you’re turning it the right way.
In the above photo, you can see that I need to turn the tuning head anti-clockwise (or away from me) to raise the pitch on the string. But your guitar may be different which is why the best practice is to listen to the string to figure out which way to turn it.
Re-pick the string when the tuner starts to have trouble detecting the note or you hear the note start to fade away. Keep picking the string every second or two to keep the string loud enough for the tuner.
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As you get closer to bringing the string in-tune, slow your adjustments down. Use smaller adjustments to bring the string closer and closer to perfect tune. Bigger adjustments usually ends up with overshooting and having to adjust the tuning back in the other direction over and over.
If you need to lower the pitch of the string, it’s a good idea to bring it slightly under tune, then tune up to pitch. This can sometimes help avoid the string slipping when you go to play your guitar and bringing it out-of-tune.
Once the low E string is in tune, move on to the A string and repeat the previous step on that string.
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This happens due to the change in tension across the neck, the change in tension in the strings, and the type of bridge your guitar uses.
Other guitars may take multiple passes – especially if your guitar was really out-of-tune at the start. If you have a guitar with a Floyd Rose bridge, it will likely take you several passes until it starts to hold decent tune. Learn more about tuning a Floyd Rose in this guide.
Whether you use a tuner pedal, or the inbuilt tuner in a multi-effects pedal or a guitar amp, the method for tuning your guitar is the same.
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If you’re using a multi-effects pedal or amp, try holding down the button or footswitch labeled ‘tuner’. After a second or two, you should see the tuner appear on the display or LEDs. If this doesn’t work, check your amp or pedal’s manual for instructions.
Step 4: make sure your guitar’s volume knob is turned all the way up, then pick the thickest string closest to you. You should be able to use any guitar pickup without problems, but tuners tend to work best when using a neck pickup. You will tune this thickest string to ‘E’.
Look at your tuner’s display and whether the string is too high (sharp), too low (flat), or in tune. The above photo shows my E string is a bit too high in pitch as you can tell from the green needle and the red arrow next to the big E.
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The tuner should let you know the note it has detected (eg: E) and how close the string is to being in tune. If you see a different note name (eg: D# or Eb), you need to tune up or down until you see E.
Most pedals or inbuilt amp tuners will light up in a different color (usually green) or show something to let you know when the string is in tune.
The above photo shows what this multi-effects pedal displays when the string is perfectly in tune. The straight needle and green arrows next to the green E make it clear the string is in tune. Once you feel comfortable with your pedal’s display,
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