The note at the fifth fret of the low E is the same as the open A string, the next string over from the low E. For this method, it isn’t necessary to first tune your low E string. Even though your instrument may not be to concert pitch or absolute pitch, the strings will be tuned to each other. Anything you play will “sound right,” as long as you’re playing by yourself and not with another instrument tuned to concert pitch.
If the open A string is higher than the A you play at the fifth fret of the low E string, tune it down and then bring it back up.
When the D string is in tune, fret it at the fifth fret to play a G. Pluck the open G string and compare. Tune it up or down to match the sound.
Tune the open B string up or down until it matches the sound produced on the G string.
If the open high E string is higher in pitch than the high E played on the B string, tune it down and then bring it up to pitch slowly and gradually. The high E string has a lot of tension and will snap easily.
You can also use a tune-checking chord, made up of E’s and B’s, to tell if your guitar is in tune with itself. To play this chord, bar the fourth and fifth strings with your index finger at the second fret. Fret the third string at the fourth fret and the second string at the fifth fret. Play both the first and sixth strings open. If your guitar is in tune, you will only hear 2 notes.
If you’ve never experimented with harmonics before, it may take a little practice before you can play them consistently. When you hear a bell-like sound, you know you’ve done it right. Harmonics is a relatively quiet method of tuning. You may not be able to use it if you’re in a place with a lot of background noise.
Repeat this with each string, since it’s possible that intonation could be perfect on some strings but off on others. If your intonation is off, try changing your strings and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn’t, you may want to take your guitar into a shop and have a tech look at it.
Tune the A string up or down until the harmonic exactly matches the pitch of the harmonic played on the low E string. If you haven’t tuned your low E string to a reference note, your guitar will be tuned to itself but not necessarily tuned to concert pitch or absolute pitch.
To tune the G string, play the harmonic on the fifth fret of the D string and compare it to the harmonic on the seventh fret of the G string.
Tune the B string up or down until it matches the pitch perfectly.
When you’ve tuned your high E string, your guitar should be in tune. Play a few chords to make sure everything sounds right.
If you find a reference note for the D string, you can tune both your low E and high E strings quickly using octaves. You can use other strings as a reference. However, if you use the D string your guitar will be more in tune across the whole range of the instrument.
Even though the notes are an octave apart, you should still be able to hear when they are in tune. If you have a hard time hearing it, use another tuning method until your ear is more developed.
If the high E string on your guitar is higher than it should be, tune it down first. Remember that you’re tuning it one octave higher than your reference note – the E on the second fret of the D string. Be careful not to tune it too high, or it will snap.
While you can also tune the B to the open high E string, your guitar will be better tuned if you tune as many strings as possible to one string.
By following this method, you have tuned 5 of your 6 strings to the D string. Play a few chords to make sure your guitar sounds right, making adjustments where necessary.
