Guitar tuning is one of the primary and most important aspects of playing a guitar. A well-tuned guitar will throw out good sound while a badly tuned guitar will give out a sound that is either too sharp or too flat. This article will guide you through the process of tuning a guitar.
There are different ways of tuning a guitar and depending on accessibility, budget and comfort ability, you can use any of the three methods of tuning a guitar.
1. Guitar Tuners
These days there are different types of electronic tuners available over the Internet. You can even purchase guitar tuners online. The benefit of using a guitar tuner is that you will not have to go through the strenuous process of doing it manually and it will take less time. There are several websites as well as online resources from which you can get guitar tuners.
An alternate option can be to download flash files that represent a virtual guitar tuner and use it on your computer to tune your guitar. Guitar tuning can’t get any easier than this. Some of the most popularly used guitar tuners include the Robotic Guitar Tuner, Qwik Tune Q12E Guitar Tuner, and TU-80 Guitar Tuner.
2. Relative Tuning
In relative tuning, you’ll place one of your fingers on the 5th fret in the 6th string and play a note. Now play an open 5th string. If the two notes are exactly the same then your guitar is in tune. If it is not you can loosen or tighten the tuning peg till both the sounds are the same. Then move on to the next string by placing your finger on the 5th fret in the 5th string and play the 4th string Open. Repeat this procedure till the top 4 strings are in tune. When you reach the 2nd string, place your finger on the 4th fret instead of the 5th of the 3rd string. For tuning the 1st string, you will have to again follow the procedure you used for all the 4 strings.
We all learned this method when we first started playing the guitar; I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. This particular tuning method helps to develop ones personal ear for tuning. However, some of the younger guitarists who have never invested the time to develop their ear for tuning their guitars will most likely find it a bit more difficult to tune their guitars on stage ‘on the fly’ when they’ve broken a string or two, or retuning their guitar after setting up their guitar to ‘alternate tuning’ for a special song or two.
3. Piano Tuning
You can also use the piano to tune your guitar. This will be possible only if you know how to play the piano (or have access to someone who is able to help you). You can tune your guitar by playing the strings and matching the sound with a corresponding note on the piano. You should start by playing an E note on the piano and then tune the 6th string on your guitar. If you feel that both the sounds are not matching then use the tuning peg to sharpen the sound or flatten it. Repeat the same process for the other 5 guitar strings, which are A (5), D (4), G (3), B (2) and E (1).
Always keep your guitar in tune . . .
Tuning is an important part of playing a guitar but keeping your guitar in tune is equally important. Ideally, you should tune your guitar every few weeks so that it is in perfect playing condition at all times. The following tips will help you to tune your guitar faster so that you can spend more time playing it.
· Whenever you practice guitar playing, make sure that you clean your strings using a lint free cloth immediately after each session. The ideal way to clean the strings is by wiping them down. This will help in removing dust, chemicals and even sweat, which will get deposited on the strings and can make it difficult for you to tune the guitar with each passing day.
· You should change your guitar strings frequently. The longer you keep your guitar strings on, the more easily they will go out of tune. Ideally, you should change your guitar strings once every 2 months. Should you start to play several hours every day and you find yourself perspiring when playing, you may want to increase how often you change your strings
Always remember that good music doesn’t come easy. Music has to be created and hence keeping your guitar in tune is extremely important.
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new about the different methods of tuning your guitar. Remember that all these little things may seem small but they are most definitely important so be sure to learn them and try not to forget them. Also, please remember to give your kids a big hug tonight before they go to bed so they know you love them.
Until next time;
Musician By Night
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