Playing the guitar involves more than strumming and reading sheet music. It also requires learning how to tune it. Once you've mastered the location of its strings—E, A, D, G, B, and E—and can recognize flat and sharp symbols, use the following tips to help you improve your instrument's sound.

How to Tune a Guitar

Use an Electric Tuner

Clip-on, handheld, pedal, and electric tuners allow users to plug guitars in or use the device's built-in microphones to measure how in-tune their guitars are. Calibrate the machine by setting it to A 440 Hz and slowly turn the tuning key until the needle meets the middle. Additionally, there are smartphone apps that can serve the same purpose.

Tune It By Ear

If you don’t have a tuner to aid you, don’t worry. Moving the knob in one direction will make the pitch higher and tighter while turning it the other way has the opposite result. Start by adjusting the E string—the fattest string—using your best judgment.  Hum to yourself if it helps or listen to a recording of the correct note.

Once it sounds right, tune the other strings in the order of E-A-D-G-B-E using the E string as a reference. Make sure you are moving the right key for each string since it is an easy mistake to make. Try following the line down from the headstock to confirm. Additionally, the tuner should display the correct note name. 

Guitar players in Elko, NV, will find a selection of guitars, strings, and tuners available at the music store 5J Music. For over 20 years, they have specialized in being the premier one-stop-shop for musical instruments and accessories in Elko County. Visit them online to learn more about their impressive inventory, including sheet music and vinyl albums, or call (775) 778-0484 to inquire about personal guitar lessons for beginners.