How to Tune a Guitar: A Beginner's Guide to Standard Tuning

If your guitar sounds "off" even when your fingers are in the right place, there is a very good chance it simply is not in tune. Tuning is the first skill every guitarist needs, and it is much easier than it looks. With a little practice, you will be able to tune your guitar in under two minutes.

This guide explains standard tuning, the notes of each string, and three ways to tune: with a tuner, using the fifth fret method, and by matching a reference note. We will also cover why guitars drift out of tune and how to keep yours steady.

Standard tuning: the notes of each string

Almost every song you will learn as a beginner uses standard tuning. From the thickest string (closest to your face when you hold the guitar) to the thinnest string, the notes are:

Guitarists number strings from thinnest to thickest, so the high E is string 1 and the low E is string 6. That trips up a lot of beginners, so it is worth memorizing now.

Know your tuning pegs before you start

Each string winds around a post attached to a tuning peg (also called a tuning machine or tuner) on the headstock. Turning a peg one way tightens the string and raises its pitch. Turning it the other way loosens the string and lowers its pitch.

Which way to turn depends on your guitar. On most acoustic and many electric guitars, three pegs sit on each side of the headstock, and the pegs on opposite sides turn in opposite directions to do the same thing. Before tuning, pluck one string and turn its peg slowly while listening. If the pitch rises, you know which way tightens it.

• Turn slowly. A quarter turn can change the pitch a lot, especially on thin strings.
• Follow the string. Before turning, trace the string from the nut to its peg so you are sure you are turning the right one. Turning the wrong peg is how strings snap.
• Pluck while you turn. Let the string ring as you adjust it so you can hear the pitch move.

Method 1: Tune with a tuner (best for beginners)

A tuner listens to each string and tells you whether it is too low (flat), too high (sharp) or right on the note. It is the fastest and most accurate method, and it trains your ear at the same time.

Types of tuner

• Online and app tuners use your phone or laptop microphone. They are free and work well in a quiet room.
• Clip-on tuners attach to the headstock and sense vibration directly, so they work even in a noisy room. They usually cost $10 to $25.
• Pedal tuners are used by electric guitarists who play with an amp and pedalboard.

Step by step

1. Open your tuner. If you are using Fretwork's free online tuner, allow microphone access when your browser asks.
2. Pluck the low E string once and let it ring. Do not press any frets.
3. Watch the display. If it shows a note lower than E, or the needle sits left of center, the string is flat. Tighten it slowly. If it is past E, or right of center, it is sharp. Loosen it below the note, then tighten back up.
4. When the display shows E and the needle is centered (many tuners turn green), move to the A string.
5. Repeat for the D, G, B and high E strings.
6. Go back and check all six strings once more. Tuning one string changes the tension on the neck slightly, so a second pass catches small shifts.

Method 2: The fifth fret method (tuning by ear)

No tuner? You can tune the guitar to itself. This is called relative tuning, because it gets the strings in tune with each other even if the whole guitar is not exactly at standard pitch. It is a great ear-training exercise, and good enough for practicing on your own.

1. Assume your low E string is correct, or tune it to a reference note first (see method 3).
2. Press the low E string at the fifth fret. That note is A. Pluck it, then pluck the open A string. Adjust the A string until the two notes match.
3. Press the A string at the fifth fret to get D. Match the open D string to it.
4. Press the D string at the fifth fret to get G. Match the open G string to it.
5. Press the G string at the fourth fret (not the fifth) to get B. Match the open B string to it. This is the one exception, and it is the step people most often get wrong.
6. Press the B string at the fifth fret to get E. Match the open high E string to it.

How to tell when two notes match

When two notes are close but not quite matched, you will hear a "wobble" or pulsing sound called beating. As you get closer, the wobble slows down. When it disappears completely, the strings are in tune with each other. Listening for beating is one of the most useful ear skills you can build.

Method 3: Tune to a reference note

To get the whole guitar at true standard pitch without a tuner, you need one correct note to start from. Good sources include a piano or keyboard, a tuning fork (most are A at 440 Hz), or a recording of the open strings. Tune your low E or A string to that note, then use the fifth fret method for the rest.

Why your guitar won't stay in tune (and how to fix it)

New strings

Fresh strings stretch for the first few days. Expect to retune often. You can speed things up by gently pulling each string away from the fretboard a few times after tuning, then tuning again.

Temperature and humidity

Wood and metal react to the weather. Moving a guitar from a cold car into a warm house, or playing near a heater or air conditioner, will shift the tuning. Let the guitar sit at room temperature for a few minutes before tuning.

Poorly wound strings

Strings should wrap neatly around the tuning post with two or three turns, winding downward. Too few wraps and the string can slip; messy overlapping wraps can settle and loosen over time.

Pressing too hard

Squeezing strings very hard while fretting pulls notes sharp. If your chords sound slightly off even right after tuning, try using lighter pressure, just enough for the note to ring clearly.

Worn hardware

If one string drifts constantly no matter what you do, the tuning machine may be worn or loose. A local guitar shop can check and replace it, often for a modest fee.

Other tunings you will hear about

Once you are comfortable with standard tuning, you will run into others. You do not need them yet, but it helps to know what they are.

• Drop D: Lower the low E string down to D. Popular in rock and folk for a heavier low end.
• Half step down (Eb): All six strings lowered by one fret. Used by many classic rock and grunge bands.
• Open G and open D: The open strings form a chord. Common in blues and slide guitar.

Always return to standard tuning before practicing lessons or chord charts, since nearly all beginner material assumes it.

Make tuning a habit

The best players tune every time they pick up the guitar. It takes a minute and makes everything you practice sound better, which keeps you motivated. Once tuning is second nature, you are ready for your first chords. Our guide to guitar chords for beginners is the natural next step.

Fretwork's free stages begin exactly here: tuning, holding the guitar, and your first chords, with a built-in tuner that is one tap away in every lesson. You can start without a card and stay on the free stages as long as you like.

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