Acoustic Guitar Tuning Done the Right Way

Keeping your acoustic guitar in tune is very important and should be tuned every time you play, whether you are play for fun or doing a show. A guitar that is out of tune is not fun to play, so take a few extra minutes and tune your guitar and you will be rewarded. When you are a beginner learning the importance of acoustic guitar tuning can be a bit frustrating, but well worth learning and doing it in the correct manner.

For acoustic guitar tuning with an electronic tuner, sit down and place the tuner on either a stool or table next to your seat. Then pluck the first string. The tuner's microphone can sense which string is being tuned. You will know how close you are to the right pitch by the indicator on the tuner. It also indicates if you are sharp or flat. Utilize the tuning key to adjust the guitar string until it indicates that you are in tune.

Keep in mind that one always tunes up, which means going from looser to tighter till its in tune. If it becomes too tight, don't just unwind it a little bit to try to improve it (called tuning down). It works far better to give the string some play and then start tightening it again till its right. When you tune up, not only are your results more accurate, but you also help the string hold its tuning longer.

If you dont purchase an electronic tuner, you still need to have a reference for pitch when playing acoustic guitar. You can use another guitar, a piano, tuning fork or an MP3 that you are certain is already in tune. Acoustic guitar tuning with an electronic tuner will consistently provide reliable tuning. But if you choose to tune the traditional way then use an electronic tuner to test your results. This is a great way to learn to develop your ear.

Start your acoustic guitar tuning with the sixth, or E string, using a reference pitch. Once you have the E string tuned, you can then tune the other five strings to that note. The reason for how and why this tuning method works is quite lengthy. If you want to know more you can go to your local music store and someone there should be able to explain it to you, but extensive musical knowledge isn't required in order to perform acoustic guitar tuning.

Here's how to do your acoustic guitar tuning:

(1) Once the low E string (sixth string) is in tune, play it on the fifth fret, and then pluck the open fifth string. Adjust the the tone of the fifth string as necessary until the two notes match. (2) Move up to the fifth string. Playing it on the fifth fret, tune the open forth string. (3) Similarly, adjust the tone of the third string while playing the fifth fret of the fourth string. (4) For the next note, play the third string on the fourth fret (not the fifth) and tune the second string. (5) Tune the open high E string, comparing it to the tone of the second string, fifth fret.

Don't be afraid to keep trying, but if it's your first time doing acoustic guitar tuning, you may want to have someone show you the correct way to do it. Check with the store where you bought your guitar, they'll be more than happy to show you. Acoustic guitar tuning may be the most important thing that a beginning guitarist must learn. Like any other tasks, it requires some time and practice to master acoustic guitar tuning. It is therefore highly recommended that all beginners have an electric tuner as a reference. Buying an electric tuner is really worth it since it is considered the easiest approach and gives the most accurate results.