Classical guitar tuning. how to tune a guitar how to tune a guitar

A natural question arises: "how to tune a 6 string guitar for a beginner?". If you have big plans and want to become a guitarist from God, at least you need to be able to tune your guitar correctly. But even if there are no such plans, you still have to tune the guitar).

"I can't tune my guitar" is a phrase you often hear from a beginner guitarist, but first, let's figure out how the strings should be tuned. Guitar strings are numbered from bottom to top, from thinnest to thickest..

What is unison in music?

With classical guitar tuning 6th string is tuned to , often use the Latin designation "E". Usually, the sixth string is tuned first, and all the rest from it, but more on that later. Here is how the strings should be tuned in classical tuning:

• e (the first, thinnest string is the note "mi")
• B (second string, note "si")
• G (third string, note "sol")
• D (fourth string, note "d")
• A (fifth string, note "la")
• E (sixth, thickest string - note "mi")

Now that we know how the strings should be tuned, let's try to tune them. By the way, you know ? To do this, we will use pegs or, as some beginners call them "twists"). can be rotated in one direction or the other.

By turning the peg clockwise we tighten the string, giving it a higher sound, and by turning counterclockwise we loosen the string and it sounds lower.

When tuning a 6 string guitar, twist you need to be careful not to break the string, especially for beginner guitarists. With experience, you will feel the string tension much more accurately, but for now, be careful and twist the "twists" carefully.

Tune the 6th string

First of all, tune the sixth string on the guitar. To do this, we need the so-called reference sound, specifically the note "mi". Where to get it? you can listen to it on our website, take it on another tuned musical instrument, you can use a tuning fork, or go to YouTube and search for "e note for guitar tuning" or something like that.

Some people have perfect pitch and can tell the pitch of a note. without using the above methods. This quality of hearing can be developed, but is usually innate. However, even far from all professionals have such skills, therefore, the method proposed below is used by both experienced guitarists and beginners.

And so, we found the "sample" of the note, we proceed to tuning. Tuning a 6-string guitar, as well as playing any other musical instrument, implies the presence of at least some slightest hearing. The presence of hearing in a beginner is determined very simply, if you are able to distinguish which of the two notes sounds higher and which is lower, then you definitely have hearing. This is what we need now.

How to hold a mediator correctly

Turn on playback reference note "mi" and at the same time start plucking the sixth string of your guitar. Feel the difference? Does your guitar string sound lower than the reference note? So you need to tighten it up a bit. smoothly twist and continue to tune the 6th string until our string and reference note sound . Try tightening and loosening the string a little until you get the sound you want.

Tuning the rest of the strings

can be tuned in the same way, using reference notes, but as a rule, "in everyday life" they are tuned relative to the 6th string. The procedure is as follows:

We will use the 6th string clamped at the 5th fret and the 5th string open (that is, not clamped at any fret). We alternately pull the fifth and sixth strings and adjust the sound of the fifth string until a unison is obtained.

The remaining strings are tuned in a similar way., but with a slight correction (pay attention to the tuning of the second string). I will describe the whole string tuning scheme in its entirety:

• The sixth string is tuned either by the reference note or by ear.

Greetings, dear friend! I can congratulate you if you became a happy owner. Your dream has come true, you have this cool thing at home and you dream of surprising all your friends and acquaintances, and maybe your girlfriend, with some cool song.

But all these are still plans for the future, which will definitely come true when you learn to play the guitar, and it will be very soon, believe me. If you are serious about becoming a great maestro and conquering women's hearts, and maybe even the stage with your talent, then you need to gradually, step by step, develop your playing technique and replenish your knowledge with new and new material.

Since you have landed on this page, you will definitely need my help. And since this article is called “How to properly tune an acoustic guitar?”, That is exactly what we will discuss further. Believe me, not only you, but also many beginners have a problem with tuning the guitar. After studying this material, you will learn:

• How to learn how to quickly and easily tune a guitar by ear?
• How to perfectly tune a guitar through a computer and with a tuner at home?

I will answer all these questions in this article. So get your guitar ready, sit back and listen.

How did I learn?

Unfortunately, not many people have an ear for music. In this regard, it was somehow easier for me when I got my first guitar, and I was just starting to learn how to play it. Maybe it was somehow inherited, because in my family there are almost only musicians. I learned to tune the guitar quickly, because it didn't seem so difficult to me from the very beginning.

Now I easily tune the guitar by ear and can do without any tuners. But if you need to record something on a computer, then I can still use the help of a guitar tuner to more accurately (tune it up, so to speak) to tune it. Therefore, today I want to consider two ways to tune the guitar, so to speak " aurally" and " with a tuner».

How to tune a guitar by ear?

Since I am not a supporter of looking for easy ways, so I will now talk about the first way to set up, which will be fixed in your head for life. You need to be able to tune by ear first of all, and then get acquainted with all sorts of tuners. This is an old way that will always come in handy even in field conditions, it will never let you down, because even by pulling the strings on a “naked” guitar, you can easily tune it in 5-10 minutes.

I must say right away that we will tune the guitar in standard classical ("Spanish") system E(Mi). Here is a table of the classic standard guitar tuning for orientation.

Classic tuning method (fifth fret)

This method is considered the most popular and common among beginners because of its clarity and relative simplicity. So, first of all we need to know how to tune 1 string?

• String #1(the thinnest without winding, which is at the bottom). The most important, it begins with the tuning of the entire guitar. It tunes by note E(Mi) of the first octave. You can take the sound of another already tuned instrument as a reference (a piano or some program on a PC or smartphone is ideal).

Note E can be recognized by the beep on the telephone. You can also use a tuning fork for greater accuracy.

Fork- this is a portable small device in the form of a whistle tube (maybe even in the form of a keychain), which clearly reproduces a note A(La). Holding the string number 1 on the 5th fret, we get La, and in the open state it is Mi.

• String number 2. This string will be tuned "based" on the first. That is, the second string must be clamped at the 5th fret and tuned so that it sounds in unison (equally) with the first open (not clamped) E string.
• String number 3. This is the only string that is tuned when pressed, not at the 5th, like all the others, but at the 4th fret. That is, we clamp the third string at the 4th fret and tune it in unison with the second open one.
• String number 4. Here we again need to press the string at the 5th fret so that it sounds like the third open. Further, even easier.
• String number 5. We tune the fifth string in the same way - we press it on the 5th fret and twist the peg until we achieve unison with the fourth string.
• String #6(the thickest in the winding, which is at the top). We tune it in the same way - we press it on the 5th fret and make unison with the fifth string. The sixth string will sound the same as the first, only with a difference of 2 octaves.

After you have tuned all the strings in turn, I recommend that you go through them again and make a little adjustment, as some strings can loosen and get a little out of tune due to the tension of others. This must be done until all the strings sound in unison. After that, your guitar will be almost in perfect tune.

You can more accurately and correctly tune a six-string acoustic guitar using harmonics, since sometimes it is not always enough to tune it in frets. flageolet- this is such a technique when you need to lightly touch (not pinch) the string with your finger in the middle of the fret and extract the sound with your right hand and at that moment remove your finger from the string. The setup sequence here will be a little different.

• String number 1. The first string in this case is tuned in the same way as in the classical way, i.e. by the sound of another properly tuned instrument.
• String number 6. The sixth is the thickest string, which is tuned with a harmonic at the 5th fret in unison with first open string.
• String number 5. The fifth string should be tuned so that the harmonic at the 7th fret matches first open string.
• String number 4. String the fourth string until the harmonic at the 7th fret is in unison with the harmonic of the fifth string at the 5th fret.
• String number 3. We tune the third string in such a way that the harmonic at the 7th fret sounds in unison with the harmonic fourth string taken at the 5th fret.
• String number 2. Tune the second string so that the harmonic at the 5th fret is in unison with the harmonic of the first string at the 7th fret.

How to tune a guitar with a tuner?

Almost perfect tuning of the guitar can be quite simple both through a computer (for example, from Mooseland or in the program), and using a conventional electronic portable tuner, as this is the easiest way to tune the instrument. If you do not have an acoustic guitar installed, then you can use a regular microphone, which, I think, will definitely be at hand.

To do this, the microphone (or pickup, if any) must be connected to a regular tuner or to a virtual one on a computer. If this is a tuner, as shown in the image above, then fix it on the headstock - the vibrations from the strings will be transmitted to the tuner.

Everything is pretty simple here! All that is required of you is to pull the string (for example, it will be 1st) and tune it until the letter appears on the display E, i.e. mi note. If it is a tuner with an arrow, then it (the arrow) should be in the center. This will indicate that the setting is correct. Similar actions must also be performed with the rest. This will be the most accurate and fastest way to set up.

How to check the tuning (system) of the guitar?

A feature of all stringed instruments, including the acoustic guitar, is that it is quite difficult to tune it perfectly. This is mainly due to the design features of the instrument itself, as well as to the sound extraction technique. After properly tuning the strings in the classical way, there is still no guarantee that, in general, the guitar will build 100% well. Some chords may not sound very clear. It's not that the guitar is not of high quality or bad, but even new and good instruments are always not built perfectly. That's why all guitarists try to carefully check and tune their guitar from time to time, using various techniques.

The easiest way is the tuning of the guitar by chords. After some time, when you gain more experience, and your hearing becomes more developed and will be sensitive to any falseness, then it will be enough for you to take any chord on the guitar and determine which string is out of tune. Once you know which string needs to be tuned, you can easily fix it with a tuner. After that, a few more chord checks and tunings will be required. As a result, you will achieve the desired result and the optimal tuning of the guitar.

In conclusion, I would like to say the following. Be sure to check the sound of the first and sixth open strings. The sound from them must be extracted at the same time - it must merge and be even, while it will be heard that the sound consists, as it were, of 2 voices - high and low.

Perhaps that's all for today, dear friend! I hope this article helped you solve your problem, and now you already know how to properly tune a six-string acoustic guitar quickly and easily. Write in the comments how quickly you managed to tune the guitar? If you have a friend who is also learning to play, send him this article, I will be very grateful to you. I hope this way I will help other people. Yes, and finally, be sure to watch the video tutorials right under the article on how to tune the guitar, I recommend it.

Many people love the sound of the guitar and some even decide to learn how to play it. First you need to understand how the guitar is tuned and how you can do it yourself. There are several simple ways that do not require special knowledge and are suitable for beginners.

How to tune a guitar?

In order to play the instrument and reproduce beautiful melodies, it is necessary to tune it correctly. For this purpose, you do not need to contact specialists, since most of the methods are simple. Tuning an acoustic guitar and a bass guitar is carried out in the same way, with the exception of some details. It is important to know which notes correspond to the strings on the instrument.

How to tune a 6 string guitar?

There are many ways to tune the instrument yourself, for example, this can be done using a device - a tuner, which is also available in the online version. You can also tune the guitar through a microphone using online programs. In addition, this can be done by ear and in other ways, for example, by flageolets. The last option is the most difficult, but it can be used to achieve maximum sound accuracy. First, it is worth pointing out that the harmonic is a playing technique in which an overtone sound is extracted. Tuning a six-string guitar goes like this:

1. To extract the desired sound, touch the tip of your left finger to the 6th string above the fifth fret.
2. Touch the string with your other hand and immediately remove your left finger.
3. After that, remove the harmonic over the seventh fret on the 5th string.
4. It is important that the overtone sounds are identical and sound in unison.
5. The first string must be tuned to the reference sound or tuner, and then the harmonics are compared.

Tuning a 6-string guitar using different tuners should be carried out taking into account the correspondence of strings and notes:

• 1 - note Mi (E);
• 2 - note C (B);
• 3 - note Sol (G);
• 4 - note Re (D);
• 5 - note La (A);
• 6 - note Mi (E).

How to tune a 7 string guitar?

All of the tuning options below apply to the seven-string guitar as well. In addition, you can also use a tuning fork - a device capable of emitting only the sound "La". Tuning a seven-string guitar in this way begins with the first string, which at the fifth fret should make the same sound. When it sounds in unison with the tuning fork, you can move on to tuning other strings, for which the first one will be the standard. The scheme is identical to the instructions for tuning by ear, as described below.

Tuning a guitar online or using a tuner is carried out taking into account the correspondence of notes to strings:

• 1 - D;
• 2 - B;
• 3 - G;
• 4 - D;
• 5 - B;
• 6 - G;
• 7-D.

12 string guitar tuning

All methods suitable for six-string and seven-string guitars can be used for these musical instruments. There are several rules for tuning a guitar without a tuner:

1. The sixth string should be tuned last and carefully, as it has the highest tension.
2. When using new or nylon 6 strings, tune down a tone and after a while you can turn it up.
3. It is better to tune an acoustic guitar a tone lower and put a capo on the first fret. Thanks to this, the sharpness of the sound will be preserved, and the tension will decrease, which will extend the life of the instrument.

To tune the guitar, you need to focus on the following correspondence of strings and notes:

• 1 and 2 - E;
• 3 and 4 - B;
• 5 and 6 - G and g an octave higher;
• 7 and 8 - D and d an octave higher;
• 9 and 10 - A and a an octave higher;
• 11 and 12 - E and e an octave higher.

Bass tuning

It should be noted right away that the standard tuning of such an instrument is no different from a conventional six-string guitar. There is one significant difference - the bass guitar must be tuned a tone lower. All of the methods presented in this article work for the bass guitar, but the best solution is a guitar tuning device, i.e. a tuner. It is important to know the correspondence of strings and notes:

• 1 - G;
• 2 - D;
• 3 - A;
• 4 - E.

How to tune a guitar for a beginner?

There are many different ways that are available to everyone. You can tune your guitar by ear, but you won't achieve perfect sounds. For this, additional tools, such as a tuning fork, can be used. In addition, there are special devices, thanks to which you can quickly bring each string to the ideal. If you are interested in how to tune a guitar using a tuner, you should indicate that a smartphone can play its role, and another option is to use online programs.

Tuning your guitar with a tuner

This device has a microphone, thanks to which it analyzes the vibrations of the string and helps to quickly tune the instrument. The guitar tuner has buttons that, when pressed, play the reference sound for each string. After that, the string is activated and the device will show the difference and indicate that you need to pull up (the arrow leaned to the left) or loosen (the arrow leaned to the right). When it stops in the middle, the tuning of the guitar is complete.

How to tune your guitar with your phone?

Modern smartphones can be used as a tuner. For example, for an Android phone, you can download the GuitarTuna program from the Play Store. Use this guitar tuning app like this:

1. On the main screen below, you need to find the "Tuner" icon and activate it.
2. Then select the desired string and tune. Position your phone so that it picks up the sound of the guitar.
3. The scale will move up or down to indicate a high or low tone. Move the pins until the indicator is centered.
4. When the setting is optimal, a check mark will appear and the program will prompt you to move to another note.
5. In the program, you can change the settings depending on your own preferences for convenient use.

Tuning your guitar by ear

In order to make the correct adjustment, it is necessary for the ears to begin to detect the beating of two sounds, similar to volume jumps. It is important that the room is quiet and free from distractions. You can tune the guitar by ear as follows:

1. First, play 1 string and memorize its sound, which will be the starting point, and we will not change its pitch.
2. Play the 2nd string by pressing it at the fifth fret. Match the sound to 1 string, and turn the peg to get a seamless sound.
3. Tune the 3rd string to the 2nd by pressing it at the fourth fret. Tune the 4th, 5th and 6th string by pressing it at the fifth fret.
4. To check the quality of the tuning, try playing a few chords and re-tune if necessary.

How to tune a guitar through a computer?

The network has special online tuners that can be used for both acoustic and electric guitars. In the first case, there is a built-in microphone, and in the second, you can use the line-in cable input. The program for tuning a guitar is based on the fact that it shows a note suitable for the frequency of the string's vibration. The tuner will determine the note and indicate what needs to be done: lower or raise the string. Spin the pegs until the indicator is in the center.

The tuning of the guitar is carried out according to the following scheme:

1. Choose an online tuner on the Internet (they all work on the same principle). Please note that if the application is not displayed, then you need to install the latest version of Adobe Flash Player. Connect the microphone and check its operation.
2. Run the application and if it works correctly, letters will start to appear.
3. Bring the guitar to the microphone and play the string. Follow the tuner readings and make the necessary adjustments.

If you are a beginner guitarist, then it is unlikely that you will be able to tune the guitar by ear. This requires a lot of experience and skill, so most beginners use simpler methods, such as through a tuner.

However, professionals also use such devices when it is necessary to quickly and silently tune a musical instrument at a concert. Read about using the tuner in our today's article.

Device characteristic

This element is a separate device or a program installed on a laptop or smartphone. In principle, there are no significant differences between these tuners - the principle of their operation is the same, and the only differences are only in the method of indication. For work, you can take the simplest and cheapest tool, which has a display with an arrow and a scale. Thanks to this tuner, you can tune your guitar as accurately as possible with a minimum of effort.

by tuner?

First of all, you should start with the first string, clamping it at the 5th fret, which should correspond to the note “A”. Sometimes beginners make the mistake of starting to tighten the string of a musical instrument while looking at the tuner's monitor. However, it must be remembered that the guitar will not always be tuned if the device shows the letter “E” when struck. The string after that can sound in a completely different octave.

How to tune a guitar with a tuner correctly without making such mistakes? Everything is very simple - when tightening the strings, it is enough to use an instrument such as a tuning fork. Then you will definitely be able to set the notes of the musical instrument correctly. Although you can tune the guitar with a tuner without this device.

A few words about tuning forks

At the moment, there are several types of these instruments - in the form of a whistle or a fork. Experts recommend using electronic tuning forks that emit the note "Mi" (the sound of the open first string). You can also use an online tuner that can play the sounds of all open strings.

It should be noted that the tuning fork allows you to compare and produce only one note - "La" of the first octave. The frequency of the reproduced sound is 440 Hz. The tuner, on the other hand, determines the frequency of oscillation of both the note and the sound that corresponds to it.

How to further tune the guitar through the tuner? After you have tuned the note "A", using the same tuner, you need to "tune" this string. Make sure that when you strike the first open string, the arrow is in the middle of the “0” scale. The display will show the letter "E".

How to tune a six-string guitar? Exposing other elements

When the first string is in tune, do the same with all the others (tune to it). To do this, the 2nd string is clamped at the 5th fret. Here you need to make it sound the same note as the first open one, that is, in unison. Next, a tuner is taken and the rest of the strings are “tuned” according to the same rules. Thus, when hitting the 2nd unclamped part, the display arrow will show the letter "B".

After tuning the upper strings (the first two), proceed to the third. It should be clamped on the 4th fret, pulling up to the sound of the note, as on the second open one. After that, the string is precisely tuned to the tuner. Unlike all previous cases, here the letter “G” should appear on the display of the device.

How to tune the guitar using the tuner next? At the next stage, the IV element is clamped again at the 5th fret. Here the tension to the note should be adjusted as you did on the previous open string. On the tuner, the open sound should correspond to the letter "D". The next string is also clamped at the fifth fret and adjusts to the fourth open. The tuner display should show the letter "A". And finally, the last sixth string is tuned to the previous one in such a way that the “E” symbol is displayed on the scale. On this, perhaps, and all. At first, this process may seem difficult, but over time, beginning guitarists get used to this task and approach it with inspiration.

What should be remembered based on this?

First of all, you need to learn how to understand the standard tuning. It includes several notes:

Knowing how to tune a guitar is not so bad - a real guitarist should know how to correct all the shortcomings that have arisen. When exhibiting a musical instrument and its strings, it is important to remember the errors that beginners can have at any time. How to prevent this? Unfortunately, even a professional cannot avoid errors, so the only way out of the situation is to check the accuracy of tuning the strings of a musical instrument. Ideally, the unclamped first and sixth strings should sound in sync with the third, clamped at the 3rd fret.

Alternative Methods

There are also other ways. For example, to check the correct tuning of the guitar, you can try another option - hold the first string at the 5th fret and compare its sound with the note "A". The sound in this case should merge, that is, be played in unison. If the melodies are very different from each other, try holding the first string at the 4th or 6th fret and compare again. If the sound of the string pressed at the fourth fret is similar to "A", then the element is tuned too high and needs to be weakened. If this happened on the sixth, then here the part must, on the contrary, be twisted. Thus, by varying the tension of the strings, you will achieve the most synchronized guitar sound on all notes.

Also, one of the signs of fine tuning is the vibration of the first string when the second string is pressed at the 5th fret (in this case, the sound is extracted).

Knowing all these rules, you will definitely know how to tune a guitar with a tuner.