How to Tune a Guitar: Standard Tuning, by Ear or With a Tuner

The six strings in standard tuning

From the thickest string (the 6th, nearest your face) to the thinnest (the 1st): E, A, D, G, B, E. A common memory aid is "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie".

Neighbouring strings are a fourth apart (five frets), except between the G and B strings, where the gap is a major third (four frets). That one exception is the key to tuning by ear.

How to tune a guitar with a tuner

1. Start with the 6th string. Pluck it open, once, and let it ring at a steady, medium volume.
2. Read the note first, then the direction. A chromatic tuner shows the note it hears. If it says F, you are sharp: loosen the peg. If it says D♯, you are flat: tighten.
3. Finish by tightening. If you overshoot, go a little below the note and come back up. Tuning upward helps the string stay put.
4. Move to the 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st strings. Pluck each one open and let it ring.
5. Go round once more. Changing one string shifts the neck slightly, so earlier strings can drift. A second pass takes under a minute.

How to tune a guitar by ear: the 5th-fret method

You need one reference pitch for the low E string: a tuner, a piano, a tuning fork or another guitar. After that, the guitar tunes itself, string by string.

Play the fretted note and the open string one after the other, or together. When they are close you will hear a slow wobble, called beating. Adjust the open string's peg until the wobble slows and disappears into one steady tone.

Tuning by ear gets you close. Small errors add up down the chain, so check with a tuner if you have one.

A quick accuracy check

Play the 6th string at the 12th fret, then the 4th string at the 2nd fret. Both are E, and they should sound identical. If they beat against each other, something in the chain is a little off.

Common problems

• The tuner jumps between notes. Pluck once, firmly, and let the string ring. Muting the other strings helps.
• A string goes flat straight after tuning. It is usually new, or the peg is slipping. Stretch the string gently and retune.
• Open strings are in tune but chords sound off. Pressing hard pulls strings sharp, and a high action does it more. Fret lightly. If the problem stays, have the guitar set up.

Tuning with Fretkit

Fretkit's tuner is chromatic: it shows the note it hears and turns green with a checkmark when the string is in tune. You can tap a string to lock onto it, and strings you have finished get a check. There is an optional chime, so you can tune without staring at the screen. Standard tuning is in the free version; drop, baritone, open and custom tunings are part of Fretkit Pro. Audio is processed on your device and never recorded or sent anywhere.

Fretkit is mainly a fretboard app, so once you are in tune the same app shows scales and chords lit up on the neck. Using a different tuning? See Drop D tuning.

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes of the guitar strings in standard tuning?

From the thickest string to the thinnest: E, A, D, G, B, E.

How do you tune a guitar by ear?

Set the low E to a reference pitch, then fret each string at the 5th fret and match it to the next open string. For the G string, fret the 4th fret to match open B.

How often should you tune your guitar?

Check it each time you pick it up. Temperature, humidity and playing all make strings drift, and new strings drift most.