Understanding the Tuning of a Guitar

To be known as a guitar player, it is necessary for you to know the tuning process of the instrument, where all the tuning pegs are turned in such a way that every string strums at the right note or pitch. There are 3 primary ways in which a guitar can be tuned: reference tuning, relative tuning and electronic tuning. Irrespective of the fact that the guitar is electric or acoustic or whether the strings are made of nylon or steel, these processes hold true for all. While the guitar can be tuned to a varied set of tunes, blues players and finger stylists prefer using altered tunings. Be that as it may, there is a standard guitar tuning method, which should be the starting point for every student learning to play the guitar. This standard tuning method is low to high – E, A, D, G, B and E. The high E is from a piano, which is the E directly above middle C. tuning of the guitar starts downward from this note.
Reference tuning is all about tuning your guitar holding another source as standard. This could be a pitch pipe, a piano or another guitar. First the pitch of the reference instrument is played and then a similar pitch, mostly an open string is played on the guitar to be tuned. Then the tuning pegs can be turned left or right as needed, which makes the pitch go up or down, till both the pitches of the guitar to be tuned and the reference instrument, match completely. This is the most difficult part of this method but can be grasped if someone knowledgeable about the process, shows you a couple of times how to do it.
Relative tuning is the process by which the guitar is tuned on its own. So, when the guitar is being played solo, the notes and chords sound perfectly right, but when compared to another instrument, which is tuned differently, it will sound either too high or too low.
For this, you have to play the A string open and the low E at the fifth fret. Match the tones of these two pitches, which should be exactly the same. Now you have to move the tuning key for the string to sound flat or sharp as is deemed necessary, till both the strings sound the same, at the same pitch. You could do this process for the entire width of the guitar, with the exception of B string. To tune the second or B string, you need to play the third or G string at the fourth fret. Then return to the fifth fret to tune the high E string. Of all the methods of guitar tuning, the electronic tuning method is perhaps the easiest for even a beginner guitarist to learn. The correct pitches are located and set by an electronic tuner. You could buy an electronic tuner from any music store and it costs between $20 and $35. Expensive ones are better in the sense that they are more accurate and are easier to use. It is better to buy the best model that you can afford as it lasts longer and good in the long run. Though the basic principles are the same for all models, you might find that the operating system for each model may vary from one another.

To know how your particular electronic tuner works, it is best to refer to the Users’ manual pertaining to your tuning set. Usually electronic tuners have work on two modes – automatic or manual. The tuners which operate on automatic mode are meant for experienced guitarists and presume that the strings are reasonable close to being ‘in tune. Let us discuss the manual mode for your convenience. In the manual mode, a string is tuned by striking the up and down buttons of the tuner. You just have to ensure that the guitar is close to the tuner or it is connected to the electronic tuner by the one-fourth inch instrument cable. Go on playing the string to check whether the tuner is showing ‘flat’ or ‘sharp’ for the particular note that you have chosen. While you are still playing the note, manipulate the tuning peg of the string with the other hand till such times that the tuner shows that the note struck is in tune. You would usually see a green light in the tuner, which is indicative that the string is in tune.

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