In this lesson I'll explain how to tune the guitar. I will discuss three
methods, the first being the common method taught in most beginning method
books, the second method is more accurate but involves a little more understanding
of the instrument, the third method is a variation of the second method
which uses harmonics instead of normal pitches. Harmonics are easier to
hear because they are "purer" tones, however, they require a little more
skill to produce on the guitar. Read the supplement to this lesson: The
Acoustics of Music for a complete explanation.
Each of the strings of the guitar are tuned to a particular pitch or
frequency of sound. Disregarding constants such as the string diameter,
temperature of the instrument, etc., the pitch of each string depends on
the tension on the string which is created between the two points on the
instrument which support the vibration, and the length of the vibrating
portion of the string. The tuning keys control the tension on the string
- by tightening the tension on the string, the pitch increases to create
a "higher" sounding note - by loosening the tension, the pitch decreases
to create a "lower" sounding note. The length of the string is adjusted
by using the fingers of the left hand to press a string down until it makes
firm contact with a fret.
Beats
Regardless of which method you use to tune the instrument, it is important
that you understand the meaning of "beats". I'm not talking about the type
of beat played by a percussion instrument, I'm referring to the phenomenon
that occurs when two notes that are only slightly different from one another
are played together. The actual physics of the phenomenon are very complex
but recognizing the auditory effect is critical in order to know when two
notes are in or out of tune. A "beat" is a distinct fluctuation in volume
which has a "wobbling" sound. If two identical notes are played together
it is difficult to tell that there is not just one note being played. If
the pitch of one of the notes is very slightly raised or lowered, a "beat"
begins to appear. The larger the discrepancy between the two notes, the
faster the "beat." Conversely, as an out of tune note is brought closer
to the reference pitch, the "beat" slows and finally disappears. The notes
are then "in tune." We will tune each string on the guitar by first lowering
the string relative to a reference pitch until a beat occurs and then raising
the pitch of the string being tuned until the beat slows and finally stops.
The Notes of the Open Guitar Strings
The strings of the guitar are numbered 1 thru 6, where string 1 is the
thinnest string and string 6 is the thickest. In standard tuning (all that
you will need to know about until you get fairly advanced on the guitar)
each string is tuned to a specific pitch. The following list identifies
each string and its correct pitch relative to a piano.
String Number Pitch and String Name Location on the Piano
1 High "E" 1st "E" above middle "C"
2 "B" 1st "B" below middle "C"
3 "G" 1st "G" below middle "C"
4 "D" 1st "D" below middle "C"
5 "A" 2nd "A" below middle "C"
6 Low "E" 2nd "E" below middle "C"
Making a sound on the Guitar
Before you can begin to tune the instrument, you must create the proper
sound on each string of the guitar. To begin with, assume the "playing
position" with the guitar in your hands. Your nails should be properly
shaped and you should already know how to correctly move the fingers of
both hands. You will not be using the left hand yet so keep it relaxed
and don't let your fingers touch the strings. If you want to, you can hold
the guitar lightly with your left hand just below where the neck of the
instrument meets the body of the instrument. Your right hand should be
held above the strings close to the sound hole, with your fingers about
a quarter to an eighth of an inch above the strings. We will use the "i"
finger to make a sound (I'll just call the fingers by their letter names).
Extension
Begin the stroke by causing the i finger to extend toward the string
by straightening the finger while keeping the right hand motionless. This
first motion is fairly subtle and should not be exaggerated to where the
finger is totally straight or stiff. Most of the motion for this extension
occurs in the middle joint of the finger.
Preparation
Lower i to the string so that the string is nestled between the underside
of the fingernail and the fleshy part of the tip of the i finger. This
position is called the "preparatory position." Despite what some people
may tell you, this part of the stroke will always exist, regardless of
how well you learn to play or how fast you play. The only difference will
be the amount of time you spend in the preparatory position. To do otherwise
invites chaos and will result in limited or no control over the sound produced
by each stroke.
The Free Stroke
The free stroke is the most commonly used stroke when playing the guitar.
It allows you to easily vary the intensity and timbre of the sound and
it allows you to play several notes at the same time without having to
significantly alter the right hand position. The free stroke is produced
by moving the i finger from the preparatory position through an arc produced
by flexing the middle joint of the finger. Your finger nail should slide
smoothly over the string producing a clear tone as the string is allowed
to resonate. Continue with the free stroke by flexing the large knuckle
of the i finger until the finger almost touches the palm of your hand.
This follow-through will vary in distance depending on the tempo of the
music and the volume you want to get from the stroke.
The Rest Stroke
The rest stroke is used when you want to emphasize or put more weight
into the sound. Some players use the rest stroke extensively in scale passages,
especially when played in the high registers of the instrument. A rest
stroke varies from a free stroke in that the initial movement begins with
the large knuckle of the finger and the final position is where the soft
tip of the finger rests lightly on the next string. In order to prepare
for a rest stroke, it is usually necessary to lower the right hand closer
to the strings and to extend the fingers a little more than that which
is required with a free stroke.
You should practice both of these strokes many times with the i, m,
and a fingers, until it feels natural and relaxed. Don't attempt to alternate
the fingers yet, that will come shortly - after the guitar is in tune.
Starting to Tune
To properly tune the guitar, begin with a reference pitch that is a
universally agreed upon note. In our music culture, that note is called
"A 440." Your tuning fork should produce this tone when struck lightly
against a hard surface. Be careful - NOT ALL TUNING FORKS ARE A440! Make
sure your tuning fork is the correct pitch before continuing. The tone
"A 440" is the pitch that is sounded when the high "E" string is played
while depressing the 5th fret...or...when you play the harmonic on the
fifth fret of the "A" string by touching the string lightly with a finger
of your left hand while performing a normal rest or free stroke (do not
push the string down with the finger, just touch it lightly). This harmonic
is the reference pitch I use when I tune my guitar to a tuning fork. Raise
or lower the tension on the "A" string by turning the tuning key while
you play the harmonic on the 5th fret of the "A" string while listening
at the same time to the reference pitch of the tuning fork. When you begin
to notice a "beat", experiment with the effect by causing the "beat" to
speed up or slow down as you adjust the tuning. Once you are confident
that you are hearing the "beat", adjust the tuning until the "beat" disappears.
You have tuned the "A" string and are ready to continue with the other
5 strings.
IMPORTANT NOTE
THE GUITAR IS TUNED ONE OCTAVE LOWER THAN THE PIANO FOR THE SAME PITCH NOTATED IN A MUSICAL SCORE.
THE "A" ABOVE MIDDLE "C" ON THE PIANO HAS A FREQUENCY OF 440 CYCLES
PER SECOND. THAT NOTE IS NOTATED BY THE SECOND SPACE FROM THE BOTTOM OF
THE STANDARD G, OR "TREBLE" CLEF. THAT SAME NOTATION IN GUITAR MUSIC PRODUCES
A PITCH OF "A 220", A NOTE EXACTLY ONE OCTIVE LOWER IN PITCH THAN THE PIANO.
THE "A" STRING OF THE GUITAR IS ACTUALLY TUNED TO 110 CYCLES PER SECOND,
TWO OCTAVES LOWER THAN "A 440". THE VALUE OF TUNING THE REFERENCE STRING
TO THE HARMONIC AT THE 5TH FRET OF THE "A" STRING IS THAT THE ACTUAL PITCH
IS THE EXACT "A 440" OF YOUR TUNING FORK.
Each of the following methods of tuning assume you have already tuned the "A" string. DO NOT RE-TUNE THE "A" STRING! It is your reference pitch and if it is adjusted you will have to re-tune all of the other notes as well.
Method 1 - Sequential Tuning of Adjacent Strings.
This first method of tuning is simple and easy to learn, however, it is not the best way to tune the instrument. Each time you progress from one string to the next any slight error in tuning is propagated to the next string. By the time you get to the high "E" string you may not even be close to correctly in tune. Once you get to the point where you are playing chords on the guitar this method of tuning will prove inadequate but it is fine for very early beginners on the guitar.
Press the low "E" or 6th string at the fifth fret. Play the "E" string and the open "A" string and adjust the "E" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Press the "A" or 5th string at the fifth fret. Play the open "D" or 4th string and the "A" string while adjusting the "D" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Press the "D" or 4th string at the fifth fret. Play the open "G" or 3rd string and the "D" string while adjusting the "G" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Press the "G" or 3rd string at the fourth fret. Play the open "B" or 2nd string and the "G" string while adjusting the "B" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Press the "B" or 2nd string at the fifth fret. Play the open "E" or 1st string and the "B" string while adjusting the "E" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Method 2 - Tuning Relative to One Fixed Pitch
This method of tuning is more accurate than the previous method because it avoids cumulative errors by always tuning each sting to a single reference string. It does require that you learn how to play a harmonic on the "A" string at the 7th fret (you may have already played your first harmonic on the 5th fret of the "A" string to tune the "A" string to the tuning fork). The actual note that will sound when you play the "A" string while touching the string lightly above the 7th fret will be an "E." This "E" harmonic which is played on the "A" string at the 7th fret will be your reference pitch. All other strings will be tuned to this note by finding "E" notes on each other string (yes, there actually are "E's" on every string), and by comparing each "E" with the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string. The only problem with this method of tuning is that it is sometimes difficult to get each "E" to resonate well enough to be able to use it to tune the instrument. This is especially problematic with inexpensive instruments which may not resonate evenly on all notes.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the low "E" or 6th string while pressing the string against the 12th fret. Adjust the "E" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "D" or 4th string while pressing the string against the 2nd fret. Adjust the "D" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "G" or 3rd string while pressing the string against the 9th fret. Adjust the "G" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "B" or 2nd string while pressing the string against the 5th fret. Adjust the "B" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the open high "E" or 1st string. Adjust the "E" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Method 3 - Harmonic Tuning Relative to One Fixed Pitch
This final method is the best method for tuning the guitar. It is very
similar to Method 2 but uses harmonics on all strings except the 2nd instead
of using normal notes. The advantage of using harmonics is that they have
fewer overtones to confuse the ear so it is easier to hear the beats when
two strings are not correctly tuned. This method requires the use of "artificial
harmonics." They are a little tricky to produce, but are worth the effort
to learn.
Playing Artificial Harmonics
If you have read the supplement to this lesson: The Acoustics of Music,
you will have seen how strings vibrate at many frequencies or pitches at
the same time. If you excite the string (pluck it, strike it, move it,
etc.) directly above a point on the string where a "node" exists for some
harmonic frequency, you will be able to clearly hear the pitch of the harmonic,
rather than the fundamental frequency of the string. If you press a string
against any fret on the neck of the guitar, you effectively shorten the
string length. A complete harmonic series will then be accessible relative
to the new string length, rather than to the original string length. This
opens up some very interesting possibilities, not only for tuning, but
for making music on the instrument - more on that later...
In order to produce the harmonic, you must strike the string and touch
it lightly at the same time with the fingers of the right hand. This leaves
the left hand free to press down at any desired fret. To practice this,
choose a string...say, the "D" string. Fully extend the index finger of
the right hand (like you're pointing at something) with your other 3 fingers
rolled into your palm. Align your right thumb so that it is parallel to
the index finger. You should be able to look directly at your right hand
and see the top of the thumbnail and the outside edge of the index finger.
Lower this entire assembly down to the "D" string. Touch the "D" string
lightly at the 12th fret with the soft tip of the index finger, while striking
the same string with a lateral movement of the thumb. As soon as the thumb
stroke is complete, move the index finger away from the string so that
the note will continue to sound. You should hear a bell-like tone, a harmonic,
that is actually the octave of the open "D" string. Try the same thing
on each of the other strings until you get a feel for how to sound each
harmonic. This same technique can be used to get harmonics from each string
at the 5th and 7th frets. If you experiment, you will discover that there
are other harmonics just waiting to be heard, some of them at points on
the string that don't even correspond to fret positions. Anyway, we diverge...
Now try pressing the "D" string at the 2nd fret while producing an artificial harmonic by touching and playing the string at the 14th fret. That note happens to be an "E", exactly the note you will need to continue this lesson on tuning. You can continue experimenting with this technique by pressing any note on any string and counting 5, 7, or 12 frets up from that note to pluck the artificial harmonic. Once again, there will be other harmonics at many other points on the strings, enjoy!
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the harmonic at the 12th fret of the low "E" or 6th string. Adjust the "E" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "E" artificial harmonic on the 14th fret of the "D" or 4th string while pressing the string against the 2nd fret. Adjust the "D" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "G" or 3rd string while pressing the string against the 9th fret. Adjust the "G" string until there are no beats between the two notes. You will adjust this string later to an "A" harmonic, but let it go for now.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the "B" or 2nd string while pressing the string against the 5th fret. Adjust the "B" string until there are no beats between the two notes. This is the only string where harmonics aren't used in tuning.
Play the "E" harmonic on the 7th fret of the "A" string and let it ring. Play the harmonic at the 12th fret of the open high "E" or 1st string. Adjust the "E" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Recheck the "G" string by playing the harmonic at the 12th fret of the "A" string while pressing the 2nd fret of the "G" string and playing the artificial harmonic at the 14th fret. Adjust the "G" string until there are no beats between the two notes.
Checking the strings
The final step in tuning the guitar is to check that the strings have
not "gone bad". A bad string will be in tune on some points on the neck
but way out of tune at other points due to uneven stretching of the string
when it is tuned up to pitch. The quickest way to check a string is to
play a harmonic at the 12th fret and than compare the pitch to the pitch
you get when you actually press the string down on the 12th fret. This
should be done for all 6 strings. Because the 12th fret is the half-way
point of the string length, the harmonic and the natural tone should be
identical. In practice, it is not uncommon that the two pitches will differ
slightly so I usually continue to use a string that has only a slight error
at the 12th fret. If you get too picky about the correctness of the pitch
you might go through many strings before you finally find one that is perfect.
Another consideration before you replace strings on the instrument is your
own level of playing. If you are a beginner and play mostly on the 1st
five frets of the guitar you probably won't be affected too badly by a
bad string. On the other hand, if you use the entire neck of the instrument
in your playing you will most likely find a bad string to be unacceptable.
Conclusion
Almost all vibrating objects produce harmonics above the fundamental
frequency. As a matter of fact the ONLY thing that differentiates the timbre
of one instrument from another is the relative mix of harmonic frequencies
present in the tone. This is a very important fact with implications that
are especially important to the guitar and we will explore this in later
lessons.
This concludes the lesson on tuning the guitar. You learned quite a few other things as well, but I believe they were necessary in order to truly understand not only how, buy why. I guess it's on to lesson 6!