How to tune a guitar

An out-of-tune guitar sounds bad even when you play everything correctly, so beginners often conclude that they're the problem rather than the instrument. That's why tuning is the first thing we learn in lessons and the first thing you do every time you pick up the guitar. This guide covers the string names, tuning with a tuner step by step, tuning by ear and the reasons a guitar won't stay in tune.

String names and standard tuning

A guitar has six strings, numbered from the thinnest to the thickest. In standard tuning the notes are, from thickest to thinnest: E, A, D, G, B, e. In Croatia and some other countries the note B is called H, so don't be confused if you see H in local materials.

Tuning with a tuner, step by step

A tuner is the fastest and most reliable way. It can be a clip-on that sits on the headstock and senses vibrations, or a phone app that listens through the microphone. A clip-on is better in a noisy room.

1. Switch on the tuner and clip it to the headstock, or open the app and put your phone close to the guitar.
2. Play the thickest string open, with one calm stroke, and let it ring.
3. Look at which letter the tuner shows. It should say E. If it shows another letter, the string is far out of tune and needs to be brought to E first.
4. Look at the needle. If it's left of centre, the note is too low and the string needs tightening. If it's to the right, the note is too high and the string needs loosening.
5. Turn the tuning peg slowly, a little at a time, and play the string again after each adjustment.
6. Repeat for the remaining five strings in order: A, D, G, B, e.
7. Finally, check all the strings once more. Tightening one slightly changes the tension on the neck, so the first ones often drop a little.

Tuning by ear: the fifth-fret method

When you don't have a tuner, you can tune the guitar to itself. The idea is simple: a string pressed at the fifth fret gives the same note as the next, thinner string played open. The one exception is the G string, where you press the fourth fret.

• E string at the 5th fret = open A string
• A string at the 5th fret = open D string
• D string at the 5th fret = open G string
• G string at the 4th fret = open B string
• B string at the 5th fret = open e string

Play both notes one after the other and listen. When they're close but not the same, you hear a gentle "wobble" in the sound. Turn the peg of the thinner string until the wobble slows and disappears. This method tunes the strings to each other but doesn't guarantee that the whole guitar is at the correct pitch, so take the first string from a tuner, a piano or a recording.

Tips for more accurate tuning

• Tune from below. If the note is too high, loosen the string below the target note and then tighten up to it. The string holds better that way.
• Play calmly. A hard stroke gives a higher note in the first instant, so the tuner reads wrong.
• Tune every time. Even if you played yesterday. It takes a minute and you can hear the difference.
• Tune in silence. A phone app hears the television and conversation too.

Why a guitar won't stay in tune

• New strings. For the first few days they stretch and keep dropping. That's normal; tune more often until they settle.
• Old strings. Worn strings lose their tone and are hard to tune accurately. If they're dark and rough, it's time for new ones.
• Changes in temperature and humidity. Wood moves. A guitar brought from a cold car into a warm room will go out of tune within minutes.
• Badly wound strings. A string with too few or untidy wraps on the peg slips.
• Weak tuning machines. On very cheap guitars the machines have slack. I write about that in How to choose your first guitar.

We cover tuning in module one of the programme, in the first lesson. See guitar lessons for beginners or the full programme.