Trusted Shops: 4.84/5,00 (10085)
Guitar tuning made easy
“An Old Lady Goes Shopping Today”
To play clean notes, beautiful melodies or even multi-voice chords on your guitar, the individual strings must be set to their respective pitches. The standard tuning for any guitar is:
E | A | D | G | B | E
Over time several mnemonics have become common to help remember the guitar tuning. The best known of these reads: “Every Aged Dame Goes Buying Essentials”. You should also know that the individual guitar strings have different thicknesses. The top string on the guitar is the thickest and sounds the lowest. The other strings become thinner as you go down and their pitch correspondingly gets higher.
As the saying goes “there are many ways to Rome”, there are also different methods to get your guitar into the correct tuning.
How do I tune my guitar?
Tuning your guitar with the 5th-fret method
Experienced guitarists tune their guitar by ear using the so‑called 5th‑fret method. In the 5th‑fret method the pitches of the strings are compared to each other. The strings to be compared are fretted so that the same pitch sounds when played. The intervals between the notes are a fourth (perfect fourth) apart.
So you fret and play the 5th fret on the high E string, match that pitch with the A string below it and tune the A string by turning the tuning pegs. You continue this example with the other strings. Only for the G and B strings you fret the 4th fret instead of the 5th. The interval here is a major third. This method requires some practice and a musical ear, but it works relatively quickly and without any aids. The only problem is that the guitar may be perfectly in tune with itself but could sound out of tune when played together with other instruments.
No compromises: get your tuning spot on!
Tuning your guitar with a tuner
To get guitar tuning exactly right, most guitarists use a tuner. These little helpers are very easy and quick to use even for beginners. You can distinguish between clip tuners, the classic tuners with built‑in microphone and jack, and the robust tuners in stompbox format.
Clip tuners
Clip tuners are — as the name suggests — clipped onto the headstock of the guitar and indicate the corresponding pitch based on the string vibrations. Most tuners of this type are chromatic and suitable for all stringed instruments. Tuners limited to the guitar's standard tuning are now rare. Clip tuners are available in various designs from all common manufacturers. The main differences, besides the look of the tuner, can mainly be seen in the different display types. The three most common display variants are the digital display, the LED moving‑light display and the strobe display. Due to their compact size, clip tuners like the Klang SCT‑2 Clip Tuner, the Peterson SC‑1 Strobo Clip HD Tuner or the Danelectro Snark SN‑1X Guitar Tuner will still find a free spot even in the fullest GigBag. And if the GigBag is already packed, you can also put the clip tuner in your pocket. If you want to keep an eye on your tuning at all times, just leave the clip tuner clipped to the headstock.
Know-how
With us you don't just get what you need – we'll also show you how it works! To the guides.
Classic tuners
Classic tuners are usually equipped with 1/4" jack input and output as well as a built‑in microphone. Tuners like the Korg GA‑50 Tuner fall into this category and are suitable for tuning both acoustic and electric guitars. To tune an acoustic guitar you simply place the tuner with the built‑in microphone in front of the soundhole. Background noise from other musicians in the same room can, however, make tuning more difficult. More practical are acoustic guitars that already have a built‑in pickup including a tuner.
You plug these in the same way as electric guitars or basses with a jack cable into the input socket of the classic tuner. Then, in both cases, you turn the tuning pegs until the pitch is correct. This is usually indicated visually via the digital display and by a green LED. Classic tuners are also ideal for on the go thanks to their compact size.
Stompbox‑format tuners
Tuners in stompbox format are designed for tuning electric guitars or basses. Acoustic guitars with a built‑in pickup system are of course not excluded. To use a pedal tuner you simply plug one end of the cable into the jack socket of your guitar and the other end into the pedal tuner. As soon as you activate the switch on your stompbox with your foot, the signal path is conveniently muted so you can tune your guitar in peace. Step on the switch again and you can continue playing. Of course the guitar signal can also be routed through other effects on the pedalboard or through the guitar amplifier. Pedal tuners like the Kong Mister‑Right, the Mooer Baby Tuner or the Boss TU‑3 are very robust little boxes and are ideal for mounting on a pedalboard and, thanks to their metal housings and large illuminated displays, also suitable for demanding and sometimes tough stage use.
Websites and apps for tuning the guitar
The progress and modern technology of today also applies to guitar tuning. On the internet you can find websites that deal with guitar tuning and output tones based on the pitch‑pipe principle. You can then tune your guitar to these tones. Diligent app developers go one step further and offer this function to take with you — to go, so to speak. The advantage of these tuning apps is their constant availability. After all, you usually always have your smartphone in your pocket and so, even if you forgot your tuner at home, you can still get your guitar in tune. Unfortunately, these two developments are not very accurate. The tones produced by built‑in computer, laptop or smartphone speakers can sound different from normal, which can again lead to mismatch when compared with other instruments. A cable connection between the guitar and the tuner is simply more accurate and also minimises background noise.
In the end the tuning is in your hands
Which method you ultimately use to tune your guitar is up to you. The important thing is that you take the guitar's tuning into your own hands before every playing and in the end can say:
“… sounds right!”