How to tune a guitar

I will now show you how to tune your guitar in E standard tuning, which is the most common tuning of a guitar.


In order to begin tuning the guitar, you'll need a "reference pitch" from another source. Once you've found a source for this initial pitch (it could be a piano, a tuning fork, another guitar, or any number of other options), you'll be able to tune the rest of your instrument by using that one note.


If you didn't already know, the 6 open string notes are (low) E, A, D, G, B, and (high) E. The reference pitch you will need will be the low E. When you have found the pitch for the low E, you must turn the knob on the head of the guitar that changes the pitch of the E string. When the reference pitch matches the pitch of your low E, you have tuned the 6th string.

Now you will have to use the 6th string to find the pitch you will want for your 5th string. The picture below helps show how to do this.

If you hold down the fifth fret of the low E string and pluck it, it makes an A note. This A note should match the pitch of the 5th string. Tune the 5th string to sound like the A note on the 6th string.

Next, do the same thing, and hold the 5th fret down on the 5th string and pluck it to produce a D note. Tune the 4th string to sound like the D note on the 5th string.

Hold the fifth fret down on the 4th string and tune the 3rd string to sound like it.

This time, make sure to hold down the FOURTH fret on the 3rd string and tune the 2nd string to sound like it.

Finally, hold down the fifth fret on the 2nd string and tune the 1st string to sound like it.

If you've done these things correctly, you've successfully tuned your guitar!