Standard Tuning For A Guitar: What is it and How to Tune to it

Close up of an electric guitar strings and pickup

Close up of an electric guitar

Standard Tuning For A Guitar: What is it and how to tune to it

 

 

There are many ways of tuning a guitar, but Standard Tuning has become the most common.

 

As an article on Fender’s tech talk ‘Standard Tuning: How EADGBE Came to Be‘ explains, most stringed instruments are tuned in 5th intervals (the next string is tuned 5 notes higher than the one before it). A guitar on the other hand is tuned in 3 4th intervals, (E to A, A to D, D to G, one major 3rd interval (G to B) and then another 4th interval (B to E). Not a 5th interval in sight!

 

 

 

Standard Tuning

 

From the thickest string (the low or bottom string, referred to by its sound not it’s placement on the guitar while you are playing it) to the high string (thinnest) standard tuning is as follows:

 

 

E          A          D          G          B          e

 

 

 

How to tune the guitar

 

Electronic Tuner

The easiest and probably most accurate way of tuning a guitar is to use an electronic tuner.

 

There are a few different types of electric guitar tuner. Some of them you plug into the guitar with your guitar cable. Some you can use the built in microphone. Others you clip the tuner onto the headstock of the guitar and it will work off the vibrations. There are also apps on phones and tablets that work the same way.

 

Although the way these tuners receive the sound is different, they still more or less work the same.

 

How an electronic tuner works

 

Once the tuner is on, you play the guitar string you want to tune.

 

On the screen a note will appear. If that is the note you wish to tune the string to, you then look at the dial (it is usually needle moving from left to right).

 

You want to get the needle to the middle of the screen.

 

If the needle is to the left, you tighten the string. If the needle is to right, you loosen the string.

 

Something to keep in mind before purchasing a guitar tuner is if it is set up only to tune to standard tuning or if it is a chromatic tuner.

 

A chromatic tuner will let you tune to any note, which is useful if you plan to use drop tunings and open tunings.

 

I would recommend getting a chromatic tuner as you can then use it for all tunings and it works in the same way. The only different is you will need to learn the notes you want to tune the guitar too.

 

An electronic tuner is something I would recommend to every guitarist. Along with being the most accurate way of tuning your guitar, it is also one of the fastest. This is great if you are playing on stage and need to tune between songs or you are trying to fit in a quick guitar practice.

 

Tuning the guitar to itself

 

If you don’t have an electronic tuner, you can still tune the guitar to itself.

 

Firstly, you need to tune the low E to what you ‘think’ is E.

 

Once you have done this, you can tune the guitar to itself. While it is likely to be slightly different to ‘true’ standard tuning (unless you have perfect pitch), you can still play the guitar and it will sound great on its own.

 

Note: it will likely sound out of tune with recordings or other instruments unless you also tune those instruments to that guitar.

 

How to tune a guitar to itself (using fretted notes)

  1. Tune your lowest string to what you think is E
  2. Fret the 5th fret on the low E string and play it.
  3. Just after, with that note still ringing, play the open A string
  4. Tune the A string so it sounds the same as the 5th fret on E (tip: move the tuning pegs with your right hand so you can keep the fretted note ringing)
  5. Once it is in tune use this method to tune the rest of the guitar.

 

 

String being tunedString and fret to hold down
A5th fret on the low E string
D5th fret on the A string
G5th fret on the D string
B4th fret on the G string
E5th fret on the B string

 

This method is more difficult than using an electronic tuner and takes practice.

 

A tip when tuning this way is if you are unsure if you need to tighten or loosen the string you are tuning, then always loosen it until you know it is lower than the note you are aiming for.

 

One reason to do this is so that you don’t over tighten and ultimately snap the string (we’ve all done it).

 

The other reason is because it is usually easier to hear the note going up to the pitch you want rather than it going down.

 

 

Tuning your guitar with a tuning fork

 

Another way that you could tune your guitar is to use pitch forks. This method of tuning is not as common anymore as digital tuners are easier to use.

To tune your guitar using a tuning fork, you would use the fork to give you the pitch and then tune the guitar to that note (similar to tuning the guitar to itself but you don’t have to guess the Low E note).

 

Is standard guitar tuning the only tuning used for a guitar?

 

There are many different guitar tunings.

 

While standard tuning is very common, depending on the type of music you like to play and your style of playing, you may hardly ever used standard tuning.

 

A way of ‘tuning the guitar higher’ without breaking your strings is to use a capo.

 

One of the most common tuning types are drop tuning, such as Drop D tuning. It is used frequency in styles such as rock and metal but can also be useful for other styles and genres.

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