Learning how to tune a guitar can seem like a hard task, but once learned comes as second nature to many. One of the most important things you will need to do in order to keep your guitar sounding good is to tune it on a regular basis. Tuning your guitar can be done by note matching, with harmonics, or with various electronic guitar tuners.http://www.amazon.com/Korg-GA-30-Ultra-Compact-Guitar/dp/B000EB68VK

The process of tuning your guitar involves adjusting the pitch of each of your strings so that they play the correct musical note. This is done by tightening or loosening each of the tuning pegs on the headstock. When turning the pegs, tightening will raise the pitch of a string, then loosening the peg will lower the pitch. There are a few different methods that guitar players can use in order to tune their guitars. Learning these different methods can help a guitar player to find which one is easiest and most comfortable for them.http://www.howtotuneaguitar.org/tuning/methods/

Frets:

These are small metal strips that divide the guitar into sections from top to bottom. If you look at your guitar from above, you can begin to see that the strings and frets together form a kind of grid that covers the entire neck of the guitar. Placing your finger on a string in between two of the frets is what enables you to play a note. The higher up you get on the frets, the higher the notes sound. In general, each fret is a half-step higher than the previous fret.http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard.html

Strings:

Most guitars will have six strings, each of which has a different size and note value. In standard tuning, the highest pitch string is an E note. This is the smallest string on the bottom of the fretboard, also it is known as the 1st string.http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/onlinetuner.html

• Standard Tuning:

• • 1st string E.
  • 2nd string B.
  • 3rd string G.
  • 4th string D.
  • 5th string A.
  • 6th string E.

When in tune, playing the 1st and the 6th strings open should produce the same note, at different pitches.

There are many different ways to tune a guitar, below are different methods for tuning a guitar. The first method listed is for matching the notes you wish to tune to by generating the tone or playing it on another instrument.

Electronic Tuners:

For beginning guitar players, it is often a good idea to purchase an electronic tuner. Electronic tuners are small devices that are able to pick up the sound of a string and let you know (usually through some sort of L.E.D. display) whether the note you are playing is sharp (too high) or flat (too low). Since beginners usually have a hard time telling whether or not a string is in tune just by ear, having an electronic tuner can help make tuning much quicker and more accurate.http://electronicguitartuner.net/

Matching Notes:

• If you happen to have a Piano handy, and know which notes are which, you can also tune your guitar by matching each of the strings to the corresponding note on the piano.

1. Start by finding and playing an E note on the piano.
2. Play the 6th string (also an E) on your guitar and adjust the tuning peg so that the E on your guitar sounds like the E on the piano.
3. Repeat this process for each of the following strings: A (5), D (4), G (3), B (2) and the low E (1).http://www.get-tuned.com/tuning-keyboard.php

There are a number of online resources that offer virtual guitar tuners for people who want a quick and easy way to tune their guitars. These sites work by allowing players to trigger each note and then tune each string to match that note. Turning this way will work much the same way as tuning with a piano would.http://www.gieson.com/Library/projects/utilities/tuner/

Relative Tuning:

For those that don't have an electronic tuner or other instruments, there are ways to tune your guitar manually and without the aid of and electronic device. One of the methods is called Relative Tuning.

1. Place a finger on the 5th fret of the 6th string and play the note.
2. Play the 5th string Open (without holding down any frets). When in tune, these two notes should sound exactly the same.
3. Adjust the tuning peg for the 5th string so that, when played open, it makes the same sound as the 5th fretted 6th string.
4. Place your finger on the 5th fret of the 5th string and repeat this process with the 4th string "Open".
5. Repeat this process for the 4th and 3rd strings.
6. When you reach the 2nd string, things change slightly. Instead of placing your finger on the 5th fret of the 3rd string when adjusting the 2nd string, place it on the 4th fret.
7. To tune the 1st and final string, go back to previous method of playing the 5th fret of the 2nd string.http://www.guitarland.com/Tuning/Lesson01.html

• Apart from actually tuning your guitar, there are a number of things that you can do in order to help your guitar stay in tune. These tips will make it so that you can spend less time tuning your guitar, and more time playing it:

1. Every time you finish playing your guitar, clean your strings by wiping them down with a lint free cloth. This will help remove the chemicals and sweat that can build up on your strings and make it hard to tune.
2. Change your strings frequently. Strings that have been on your guitar for a long time tend to go out of tune easier. You should usually change your strings every 2-3 months.
3. After putting new strings on your guitar, make sure to stretch them out thoroughly by pulling the strings upwards until all of the tension has been released. You may need to do this a few times before they settle down and stay in tune.

Whichever way you decide, make sure that you tune your guitar regularly and frequently. Since strings can go out of tune at any time (often more so when playing a lot) you may even need to re-tune your guitar in the middle of practicing. But don't worry. The more practice you have tuning your guitar, the easier it will be and the better your ears will become at recognizing how each of the notes should sound. And of course, the more in-tune your guitar is, the better it will sound and the more fun you will have when playing. That is the goal: Sound good and have fun!

Check out these other helpful How Tos to learn more about guitars.

1. How to Play Guitar For Newbies
2. How to Play A Major on Guitar
3. How to Play a B Chord
4. How to Play C Major on Guitar
5. How to Play D Major on Guitar
6. How to Play E Major on Guitar
7. How to Play F Major on Guitar
8. How to Play an A Minor Chord
9. How to Play B Minor on Guitar
10. How to Play a C Minor Chord
11. How to Play D Minor on Guitar
12. How to Play an E Minor Chord
13. How to Play an F Minor Chord
14. How to Clean a Guitar
15. How to Tune a Guitar
16. How to Buy a Guitar
17. How to String an Acoustic Guitar