Tuning your guitar is one of the first skills you’ll learn as a guitarist, and honestly, it’s one of the most important. A properly tuned guitar sounds infinitely better, is more enjoyable to play, and helps train your ear from day one. Whether you’re picking up a guitar for the first time or getting back into playing after a break, we’ve got you covered.
When your guitar is in tune, every note you play sounds correct and clear. Out-of-tune strings can make even simple chords sound sour and discouraging. Plus, playing a properly tuned guitar helps your ear develop better pitch recognition, which is invaluable as you improve. You should tune your guitar every single time you sit down to play—even professional musicians do this as part of their warm-up routine.
Standard guitar tuning is E-A-D-G-B-E, starting from the thickest (lowest) string to the thinnest (highest) string. Remember this order with the phrase “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.” The lowest string is the low E string, and the highest is the high E string.
Today’s clip-on electric tuners have made tuning incredibly simple. These small devices clip onto your guitar’s headstock and sense the vibrations of each string. Here’s how:
Turn the tuning peg clockwise to lower the pitch and counterclockwise to raise it (though this varies by guitar). The tuner will give you visual feedback when you’ve hit the right note.
If you don’t have a tuner handy, you can tune by ear using the 5th fret method. Start with one string in tune (get it as close as possible by ear or from a reference pitch), then use it to tune the rest:
This method takes practice but develops your ear considerably.
Tune up, not down. If you overshoot and go sharp, come back down and approach the note from below. This helps your strings stay in tune longer because it creates better tension on the peg.
Tune regularly. Temperature changes, humidity shifts, and regular playing can knock your guitar out of tune. Make tuning part of your pre-playing ritual.
Gentle on the pegs. Turn the tuning pegs smoothly and deliberately. Jerky movements can stress the strings and cause them to slip out of tune quickly.
Check multiple times. Sometimes tuning one string affects others slightly. Do a quick pass through all strings after your initial tuning.
If you prefer digital tuning without a physical device, our free online guitar tuner is accurate and easy to use. Simply open it on your phone or computer, play each string, and adjust until the tuner confirms you’re in tune. It works just like a clip-on tuner and is perfect for beginners learning the process.
If you find yourself retuning constantly, a few things might be going on. New strings take time to settle and may need frequent retuning for the first few days. Old, worn strings slip more easily and may need replacing. If your tuning pegs are loose or damaged, they may not hold tune properly—consider having a professional look at your guitar.
Once you’re comfortable tuning in standard tuning, you might want to explore alternate tunings like drop D or open tunings, which can open up new musical possibilities. But master standard tuning first—it’s the foundation for everything else.
The key is consistency. Tune every time you play, and within a few weeks, your fingers and ears will remember the proper tensions for each string. You’ll soon be tuning automatically without even thinking about it. Happy playing!
