Tips for Tuning Your Guitar

Whether you’re just starting to explore guitar playing as a new hobby or are already an intermediate player, tuning the guitar is one of the essential basics you need to master. 🎸

Harley Benton R-456FR BK Progressive Series

A guitar must be tuned to achieve its best sound. As a string player, you have various options for this. Most of the time, a tuner is used. We’ll show you how different tuning options work.

While learning to read music is a good idea in the long run, it’s not strictly necessary for tuning in the beginning. However, you do need a bit of basic knowledge. To tune the guitar, you should at least know the names of the strings, or you’ll be tuning blindly. Without this, you wouldn’t know if the notes were correct or not. The standard tuning for a guitar, whether electric or acoustic, is E | A | D | G | B | E, from the lowest to the highest strings. This gives you and the tuner a common language. Let’s start with the simplest way to tune your guitar.

Guitar Tuning: The Simplest Way with a Tuner

You need the least amount of expertise when using a tuner, also known as a tuner. The advantage of these devices is that they let you “turn off” your ears and rely on the tuner instead.

For an electric guitar, connect the tuner to the guitar’s output jack with a cable. When you play each string, the tuner detects the pitch and displays the note on its screen. If the pitch is too low, turn the corresponding tuning peg to tighten the string; if it’s too high, turn it the other way to loosen it slightly.

Korg Pitchblack X

The tuner usually indicates the correct pitch with a light, signaling success. Repeat this for each string. A great example with high tuning accuracy and a very clear 3D display is the Korg Pitchblack X.

Modern Helpers: Clip Tuners

The same principle applies to acoustic guitars, although they cannot usually be connected to a tuner by cable. A solution could be a tuner with a microphone, though this can be affected by ambient noise. A more modern solution is a “clip-on tuner,” like the Thomann CTG-10 Clip Tuner.

Thomann CTG-10 Clip Tuner

This small device simply clips onto the guitar’s headstock and picks up vibrations via a sensor. One advantage of compact clip tuners is that they rotate 360°. The display changes color once the correct tuning is achieved. Simply pluck each string and follow the display.

After trying a clip tuner once, tuning will become self-explanatory.

Tuning with an App in the Smartphone Era

In today’s smartphone era, there’s an app for everything—including guitar tuning. Simply search your app store to find several options, often free.

Tuning via an app works similarly to a standard tuner. The advantage is that you always have the app with you. The downside is that tuning in noisy environments may be challenging, but it’s certainly possible.

Tuning Fork: Training Your Ears without a Tuner

Another way to tune your guitar without tech is by using a tuning fork. You need a reference pitch, typically A, to match the pitch of your second-thickest string.

This pitch can come from a keyboard, piano, or tuning fork. Carefully adjust the tuning peg until the pitch matches the reference. Then, press the lowest string at the 5th fret and match it to the open A string.

Km 168 Tuning Fork

Next, tune the A string at the 5th fret to match the open D string, adjusting the D string peg. Repeat for the D and G strings. When tuning the G to the B string, remember to press the 4th fret of the G string.

For the high E string, press the 5th fret of the B string. A tuning fork like the KM 168 from König & Meyer is a simple, effective tool.

Tuning Using Harmonics

A slightly more advanced method is tuning by harmonics, which requires some familiarity with playing techniques.

Harmonics are overtones produced by lightly touching a string at the 5th, 7th, or 12th fret without pressing down fully. Pluck the string with the picking hand while your fretting hand gently touches above the fret. You’ll feel and hear the harmonics’ resonance.

If you produce a harmonic at the 5th fret of the low E string, it should match the harmonic on the 7th fret of the A string. For G and B, play a harmonic at the 7th fret of the low E string as a reference. This technique offers very precise tuning.

Quick tip: When using new strings, stretch them slightly after tuning, as they may not hold the pitch for long initially. Find guitar strings here on thomann.de. 😉

Guitar Strings: Ernie Ball 3221 3 Pack

Guitar Tuners on thomann.de

Looking for a tuner? Click here to find tuners on thomann.de. If you have questions, the guitar team is happy to help: gitarre@thomann.de.

Thomann CTC-50 Black

Guitar Tuning: Your Feedback

So – stay tuned, and let us know in the comments which tuning method you prefer!

PS: Keep on rockin’! 😎

Lawrence started playing the electric guitar because of his passion for rock music. Back in the day he played in a metal band, but now plays more for himself.

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