Playing Guitar - Information and Articles

Navigation

Featured Article

Playing Guitar Articles

Guitar tuning guide: How to tune a guitar.

Many beginning guitarists struggle when it comes to tuning the guitar. It's a major stumbling block for them. Some end up quitting altogether because every time they start to play what comes out doesn't sound right. A beginner should understand that guitar tuning is something you get better at with practice. Ear development takes time.

A beginner should practice tuning the guitar so that he can become better and better at it. Your friends won't be around all the time to tune your guitar for you.

How does one tune the guitar?

Well firstly, here's the standard tuning of a six string guitar:

6th string: E
5th string: A
4th string: D
3rd string: G
2nd string: B
1st string: E

The first string being the thinnest, and the sixth string the fattest.

Relative tuning: tuning an electric guitar by ear.

Let's assume that your 6th string is already in tune (an E note). You can tune your 6th string by using another guitar that is in tune, a tuning fork, a piano, an electronic tuner or even a midi file on your computer. Then, all you have to do is match notes on the adjacent strings.

Play the 6th string at the 5th fret. It should match the tone of the 5th string open.

Play the 5th string at the 5th fret. It should match the tone of the 4th string open.

Play the 4th string at the 5th fret. It should match the tone of the 3rd string open.

Play the 3rd string at the 4th fret. It should match the tone of the 2nd string open.

Play the 2nd string at the 5th fret. It should match the tone of the 1st string open.

You can also tune your guitar by octaves.

An octave is the interval between two notes with the same name. In the scale: C D E F G A B C, the two C's are one octave apart.

Play the 6th string open. It should be one octave apart with the 5th string at the 7th fret.

Play the 5th string open. It should be one octave apart with the 4th string at the 7th fret.

Play the 4th string open. It should be one octave apart with 3rd string at the 7th fret.

Play the 3rd string open. It should be one octave apart with the 2nd string at the 8th fret.

Play the 2nd string open. It should be one octave apart with the 1st string at the 7th fret.

When your ear is sufficiently developed you should be able to tune your guitar by using chords. Just play a chord and tune the strings so the chord sounds right.

Learning to tune the guitar is very important. A must! But it is so much more convenient, faster, and more accurate to make use of a guitar tuner. Particularly in live situations and noisy environments. You will find an electronic tuner for 10-50 bucks online easily. You can order one today.

About the Author

Mantius Cazaubon offers a buying guide to help you choose an electric guitar that meets your needs on his site, http://www.electric-guitars-guide.com Visit Electric Guitars Guide.com for electric guitar lessons, tips, and reviews.

Written by: Mantius Cazaubon

Recent Articles

A Dying Cat And A Nylon String Guitar
“Music isn’t just learning notes and playing them, you learn notes to play to the music of your soul” – Katie Greenwood. Why are you learning music anyway? Is it to pick up chicks? Is it to fulfill a void in your mundane life? Is it an...

Guitars
Guitars are music instruments that are very versatile; most musicians around the entire world use them because they find a guitar to be very easy to play. They are also the most commonly chosen instrument for a student to start playing their...

She Wrote the Book on Fakin' It
She brought the guitar into vogue. She created the first "fake" books designed for regular folks who didn't want to or were unable to invest the time and effort to master the guitar. Who was she? Catherina Josepha Pelzer was born in 1821 in...

Quickbeat Human Drummer - Boost your playing to another level. Designed for beginner to pro guitar & bass players, QuickBeat is the next best thing to playing with a real drummer. For details, Click Here!

Easy Way To Get Massive Guitar Tone. Modify your guitar effect pedals to sound like boutique 'high dollar' effect pedals! For details, click here.

101 Slap Bass Guitar Riffs By Jim Lee. FunkyChops Video Download. Play Bass Guitar Like a Pro. For details, click here.

Screamingfingers Guitar Website. Guitarists, learn how to systematically increase your picking speed without practicing and performing your mistakes. For details, click here.

guitar.ksinclair.com | Learn to Play Guitar | Guitar Books
This is a Personal and Business Success site