How to Tune a Guitar — Complete Guide to Standard and Alternate Tunings

A guitar that is out of tune will sound wrong no matter how well you play it. Learning to tune your guitar accurately — and to check tuning regularly — is the most fundamental technical skill you can develop as a guitarist.

This guide covers everything from the basic clip-on tuner approach to tuning by ear, and explains common alternate tunings.

Standard Tuning: EADGBE

Standard guitar tuning has the six strings tuned to these notes, from the thickest to the thinnest:

Memory aid: "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie" — E, A, D, G, B, E.

The two E strings are the same note — just two octaves apart. The low E is the deepest note; the high E is the highest.

Method 1: Clip-On Tuner (Recommended for Beginners)

A clip-on tuner is the easiest, most reliable, and most common tuning tool. It costs £8–25, clips to the guitar's headstock, and detects pitch through the vibration of the wood rather than through sound waves — meaning it works in noisy environments (rehearsal rooms, stages) where a microphone-based tuner would struggle.

How to Use a Clip-On Tuner

1. Clip the tuner to the headstock — any peg position, but centred on the headstock gives the most accurate vibration detection
2. Switch the tuner on — most have a single power button
3. Set the tuner to chromatic mode if it has multiple modes — chromatic shows any note, which is the most useful setting
4. Pluck the thickest string (low E) by itself — do not play other strings simultaneously
5. Read the display — the tuner will show the nearest note it hears. If the string is in tune, it will show "E" with the needle centred or a green indicator
6. If the note shows flat (needle to the left): Turn the tuning peg to increase tension (clockwise from the player's perspective on most guitars, but check — different headstock designs vary)
7. If the note shows sharp (needle to the right): Turn the tuning peg to decrease tension
8. Tune in small increments — large turns overshoot the target pitch
9. Re-pluck after each adjustment — the string pitch settles slightly after tuning; re-check
10. Repeat for each string in sequence: E, A, D, G, B, E

After the First Pass

After tuning all six strings, go through them all again. Adjusting one string's tension slightly changes the tension on the neck, which affects all other strings. A second (and sometimes third) pass ensures all strings are in tune simultaneously.

Clip-On Tuner Recommendations

Method 2: Phone Tuner App

Tuner apps use the phone's microphone to detect pitch. Free and accurate enough for practice use.

Recommended apps:

• GuitarTuna (free, iOS and Android) — the most downloaded guitar tuner app
• Fender Tune (free) — clean interface, accurate
• Pano Tuner (free) — simple chromatic tuner

Limitation: Microphone-based tuning is affected by background noise. In a quiet room, a good app is accurate. In a band context or noisy environment, use a clip-on tuner instead.

Method 3: Tuning by Ear (Relative Tuning)

Tuning by ear means adjusting the guitar so all strings are in tune relative to each other — not necessarily at concert pitch (A=440Hz), but consistently tuned to themselves.

The Fret Method

1. Get one string in tune using a reference pitch (see below), or accept that the guitar's tuning will be consistent with itself but possibly not concert pitch
2. Fret the 5th string at the 5th fret — this note (A) should match the open 5th string (A). Tune the 5th string to match the fretted 6th string
3. Fret the 4th string at the 5th fret — (D) matches the open 4th string
4. Fret the 3rd string at the 5th fret — (G) matches the open 3rd string
5. Fret the 3rd string at the 4th fret — (B) — note: this is the 4th fret, not the 5th. The B string is a major third above G, not a fourth
6. Fret the 2nd string at the 5th fret — (E) matches the open 1st string

The only anomaly is the G to B interval (4th fret, not 5th). Everything else is the 5th fret.

Using Harmonics for Tuning

A more accurate method using natural harmonics:

• 5th fret harmonic on the low E string = same pitch as the 7th fret harmonic on the A string
• 5th fret harmonic on A = 7th fret harmonic on D
• 5th fret harmonic on D = 7th fret harmonic on G
• G to B cannot use the harmonic method — tune the B string by ear or using the 4th fret fretted method
• 5th fret harmonic on B = 7th fret harmonic on high E

Harmonics are produced by lightly touching the string directly over the fret wire (not pressing down) and plucking. The resulting bell-like tone is very clear and pure, making pitch comparison easier.

Getting a Reference Pitch

For the by-ear method to work, at least one string must be at the correct pitch. Sources for reference pitch:

• Piano or keyboard: Play A4 (the A above middle C) and tune the open 5th string to match
• Another instrument in tune (piano, keyboard, wind instrument)
• Pitch pipe: A set of small pipes that blow reference notes for each string (£5–10)
• Tuning fork (A440): Strike the fork, touch its base to the guitar body to hear the tone, tune the A string to match

How Guitar Tuning Works: The Mechanics

Understanding the physics helps you tune more accurately.

String Tension and Pitch

Pitch is determined by string tension, string length, string mass, and string stiffness. When you turn a tuning peg:

• Increasing tension raises the pitch (string becomes tighter, vibrates faster, produces a higher note)
• Decreasing tension lowers the pitch (string becomes looser, vibrates slower, produces a lower note)

Why Tuning Drifts

Guitars go out of tune because:

• Temperature changes expand or contract the wood and strings
• Humidity changes affect the wood
• Playing stretches strings — bending, vibrato, and aggressive strumming change tension temporarily
• New strings settle — new strings have more elasticity and require more frequent tuning for the first few hours of play

New strings: When you put on fresh strings, tune them up to pitch and then gently stretch each string by pulling it away from the body with your fingers, then re-tune. Repeat 3–4 times. This accelerates the settling process.

Common Tuning Problems and Solutions

The String Won't Stay in Tune

Cause: Usually either the string slipping at the nut or tuning peg. Also caused by new strings not yet stretched in.

Solutions:

• Lubricate the nut slots with graphite (pencil lead) — apply graphite to the nut slots to reduce friction
• Ensure the string is wound correctly around the tuning peg — wrap tight and with adequate turns
• Allow new strings to settle — stretch them manually and re-tune

The Guitar is in Tune Open But Not on Frets

This is an intonation issue, not a tuning issue. Intonation affects whether the fretted notes at higher positions are in tune. Intonation is set by adjusting the saddle position at the bridge and requires a screwdriver. Many music shops will adjust intonation during a guitar setup (£40–80).

I Can Hear That Two Strings Don't Match But Can't Tell Which Is Wrong

Use a tuner. Your ear can detect that something is wrong before it can diagnose which string is the problem. A tuner shows each string's actual pitch precisely.

Alternate Tunings

Once standard tuning is understood, alternate tunings open new musical possibilities.

Drop D

One of the most common alternate tunings. The low E string is dropped down a whole step from E to D.

Tuning: DADGBE

How to tune to Drop D: Lower the low E string by playing it and tuning down to match the open D string (one octave lower).

Why use it: Drop D allows single-finger power chords on the bottom three strings. Strum strings 4, 5, 6 with a single barre finger across all three at the same fret for an instant power chord. Used in rock, metal, and many other contexts.

Who uses it: Kurt Cobain (Smells Like Teen Spirit), many metal and rock players.

Open G (GDGBD)

Tuning to open G means all open strings together form a G major chord.

Tuning: GDGBD (or with low E: DGDGBD)

How to tune: Tune the low E down a full step to D, the A string down a full step to G (matching the 3rd string), the B and high E stay the same, the D and G stay the same.

Who uses it: Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), Joni Mitchell.

Open E (EBEG#BE)

Open strums produce an E major chord. Used in slide guitar and blues.

Caution: Open E raises the tension of several strings; some guitars benefit from a lighter gauge when used in open E to reduce neck tension.

Half-Step Down (Eb Standard)

All strings tuned one half-step below standard: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb. Produces a slightly looser feel at the same string gauge and a darker character overall.

Who uses it: Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, many metal players.

Full Step Down (D Standard)

All strings tuned a full step below standard: DGCFAD. Common in heavy metal, particularly in drop-D arrangements where drop C results (CGCFAD).

Tuning for Live Performance

Tune Before Every Set and Between Songs

Guitars drift during performance. Temperature from stage lighting, temperature differences between backstage and on-stage, and aggressive playing all affect pitch. Professional players tune before every set and check between songs.

Use a Muted Tuner

A stage tuner (like the Boss TU-3 floor tuner, around £80) mutes the signal to the amplifier while tuning, so the audience does not hear the tuning process.

Tune Before the Audience Hears You

If you cannot mute the signal (practice, rehearsal, small acoustic settings), tune before playing rather than during a performance — an out-of-tune guitar before you start is less disruptive than tuning audibly mid-performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which way to turn the tuning peg? Turn the peg towards you (from the player's perspective) to increase tension and raise pitch on most standard guitars. Turn away to lower pitch. Check the effect immediately after a small movement — the direction varies with headstock design (Fender headstocks have all pegs on one side; Gibson headstocks have pegs on both sides and the direction varies).

How often should I tune my guitar? Before every playing session. Check again if the session is long (every 30–45 minutes of continuous playing). New strings require more frequent tuning until they settle.

What does A=440 mean? A440 means the note A above middle C vibrates at 440 cycles per second (440Hz). This is the internationally agreed concert pitch standard. All properly calibrated instruments and tuners use A=440 as the reference. Some recordings use A=432 or A=415 (baroque pitch) — if you are playing along to such recordings, your tuner should be set accordingly.

Should I buy an electronic tuner or use a phone app? For reliable tuning, a clip-on electronic tuner (£10–25) is recommended over a phone app. Clip-on tuners work in noisy environments, are always available, and clip securely to the headstock without needing a hand to hold them.

My new strings keep going out of tune. Is something wrong? New strings are elastic and stretch significantly for the first few hours of play. This is normal. Stretch each string manually after stringing, tune up, repeat 3–4 times. After one or two playing sessions, new strings settle into stable tuning. If the problem persists after several days, the string may be slipping at the tuning peg or the nut slots may need lubricating.

What is drop D tuning? Drop D tuning lowers only the low E string from E to D (DADGBE). This allows power chords to be played with a single finger barring the bottom three strings at the same fret, and is common in rock and metal.