How to tune a guitar

Standard Tuning

Standard tuning for guitar starts with the lowest 6th string (the thickest string) and progresses to your highest 1st string (the thinnest string). The notes are E, A, D, G, B, E.

A great phrase to help remember this is “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.”

When tuning a standard 4-string bass guitar it’s even easier! The notes of a 4-string bass are the same as the bottom 4 notes of the guitar: E, A, D, G.

When tuning a standard 4-string soprano ukulele, the notes are different, but you will still begin with the lowest string, as we do with guitar and bass guitar tuning. The notes are: G, C, E, A

Even when tuning these instruments to different notes, the process of guitar tuning vs bass tuning vs ukulele tuning remains the same. For example, as we mentioned, it’s common practice to start with your lowest (thickest) string and work up to your highest (thinnest) string.

Tuning Tools

When you’re first learning how to tune your instrument, it’s crucial to have a reliable way of finding the correct pitches for the strings. For this, we need a handy device called a pitch tuner.

Pitch tuners come in many different sizes, shapes, and price ranges, but they all essentially do the same thing: they “listen” to the note you’re playing and tell you the pitch!

You’ll be able to easily see if your guitar is flat (too low), sharp (too high), or in tune (just right!). I’ve included some tuner recommendations for you below.

 

Guitar Tuning in 3 Steps

The process of guitar tuning can feel overwhelming at first, but with enough practice, you’ll be in tune in no time!

Step 1

Use your guitar pick to play the string you’re trying to tune. Let’s say it’s your 6th string (the low E string). Pick the string steadily every couple of seconds, and don’t stop!

Step 2

Keep your eyes glued to your pitch tuner, and begin to turn the tuning peg.

• Turn the peg away from you if the note is reading too low.
• Turn the peg toward you if the note is reading too high. 

Step 3

Keep going (picking and turning) until the note reads perfectly in tune with the note the string is supposed to be (E in this example).

It’s that easy!

A couple of things to remember when tuning:

• Never turn the tuning pegs too quickly or too much! Doing so can easily pop a string.
• Never randomly turn the tuning pegs without looking at your tuner! Doing so can easily pop a string.
• Always make sure you’re turning the correct tuning peg for the string you’re trying to tune. Trace the string all the way up to the headstock if you’re unsure.

These simple principles apply to guitar, bass, and uke, and if you follow them you’ll be in tune and shredding away in no time!