How to tune your guitar

You need to know how to tune a guitar to play it. There are many electronic devices that make tuning the guitar easy. However, if you use your ears to tune your guitar you'll be training them every time you tune up.

A guitar's tuning is similar to other string instruments, such as the violin and the mandolin, but with a slight difference. While the top 4 strings (fat strings) of a guitar have the same relative tuning as a violin, the bottom 2 strings (skinny strings) break that tuning for practical purposes- namely so guitarists can play chords with human hands.

This information is a little advanced- you don't need to worry about it too much at this point. It will begin to make more sense as you explore the fretboard. For now, all you need to know are the pitches (notes) of each string, and how to tune them properly.

Guitar strings... (fat strings to skinny strings)
   
       E   A   D   G   B   E
       6   5    4    3    2   1











Eat A Darn Good Breakfast Everyday is a common mnemonic device used to remember how a guitar is tuned.

Steps to Tuning Your Guitar

1. Use an electronic tuner to tune the 6th string to E. Turn the tuning key on the headstock of your guitar until it matches a perfect E pitch on your electronic tuner. Clockwise movements tune down, while counterclockwise movements tune up. Always tune down first, then tune up for increased stability.  

*  Each steel wire on the guitar's fretboard is called a fret. Notes are played by pressing down on one or more guitar strings just behind a fret. 

2. Find the 5th fret on the guitar's 6th string (the E string you just tuned), and press the string down just behind   this fifth fret. This will sound an A note, which is the pitch we need for the 5th string.

3. Next, locate the tuning key for the 5th string, and while STILL PRESSING DOWN THE 6TH STRING  BEHIND THE 5TH FRET, turn the 5th string tuning key until the pitch of the 5th string matches the pitch of the 6th string being pressed down behind the 5th fret. When the two notes are out of tune, you will hear a wobbly sound, like a wave. As they become the same pitch, this wave will begin to disapear until it is completely gone.

* This sounds more complex than it is. See video for demonstration.

4. Repeat this process for the 4th and 3rd strings. When you reach the 2nd string, simply press down the string above it (3rd string) behind the 4th fret as opposed to the 5th fret.

5. When tuning the first string, revert back to pressing down behind the 5th fret of the string above it (2nd string).