You were about to hit that last chord, and you noticed that something didn’t sound right. Again, you’re guitar is out of tune.  Before you rush to that self-consumed, keeps-everything -to-himself dude you met at your local jamming session (yet again) and ask him to tune it for you, consider learning to do it on your own. It’s easy and you won’t have to drag your Fender Stratocaster with you out of the house. In the next few minutes, you will be able to successfully tune a guitar.

There are a couple of things that you need to remember to get a guitar tuned. First, always start off with “E”  which is known as the thickest of all strings. It will make the guitar tuning a lot easier. It’s also called “6.”

Next is the “E” pitch- for some this is a standard pitch. However, not all of the guitarists religiously rely on it. It will still depend on your taste as a budding musician. Some guitarists prefer the “E” string to be a pitch higher than usual.  Remember to adjust the guitars tuning keys carefully and gradually. This is to avoid any accidents caused by the strings snapping due to unnecessary tension.

So let’s begin.

There are varying ways on how to tune a guitar. One of the methods is by using a pitch pipe, or the more expensive electronic tuners. Pitch pipes generally sell for around $5 to $10 (depending on the make and brand) and electronic tuners for about $99 to $120.

Using a Pitch Pipe, you begin by blowing on the one marked with an “E,” and then adjust the “E” string or “6” to match the pitch. Once you’ve  successfully matched the pitch, proceed with the succeeding strings A-D-G-B-e or 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively.

To check if you’ve tuned the guitar properly, hit the strings E and e, or 6 and 1. If the sound of the “e” string is harmonious with the “E” string, then it’s tuned.

You may also tune your guitar by using piano keys.  You’ll find the E key by counting five keys from the left. This is your reference tone. You’ll notice that it has the pitch similar as the E on a pitch pipe and a Piano’s. Again, match the E string. The corresponding keys are as follows: the 10^th key for the A-string, 15^th key for the D-string, 20^th key for the G-string, the 24^th key for the B-string and the 29^th key for the e. Almost a surefire system since pianos stays on tune even when not used for a long time.

JamPlay, besides offering guitar lessons, also gives you tips on how to tune a guitar.

Another method is through our dear friend the internet. There are websites that sport virtual pitch generators that will help you get a guitar tuned. Follow the same drill by matching the pitch with the corresponding strings. Try hitting a chord. Do you like how it sounds now? You’re all set then.