No Tuner? No Problem! How to Tune Your Guitar to Itself Like a Pro
No Tuner? No Problem! How to Tune Your Guitar to Itself Like a Pro
Hey guys, Brad Litton from SimpleGuitar.com. This blog post transcribes my YouTube lesson on what to do when you need to tune and you don't have a tuner — dead battery, left it at home, whatever.
This is one of the most essential skills every guitar player needs. At least get the guitar in tune with itself.
You can do this. Not as bad as you think.
First: Strum a Chord and Listen
Pick up the guitar. Strum something you know — I like E a lot of the time, or G. Does any of it sound off? Pick through the strings one at a time. Sometimes it's obvious. Sometimes it's just a little out.
That takes ear time to develop. So we use a reference pitch and tune the guitar to itself. All six strings agree with each other. That doesn't always mean they're at concert pitch — if your A is a little off A, the guitar can still sound good with itself.
I usually pick the A string as home base. Sometimes the E. Whatever works.
Fifth-Fret Method (Tune to Itself)
Let two notes ring together. They should sound like the same note — no "wow" / dissonance.
- Sixth string, fifth fret vs open A (fifth string). If you hear the wow, turn the sixth-string peg (I reach over with my right hand) until it goes away.
- Fifth string, fifth fret vs open D (fourth string). In the lesson my D was a little flat, so I tuned it up.
- Fourth string, fifth fret vs open G (third string). Listen for the wow, then it goes away.
- Third string to second string: fourth fret, not fifth. Fourth fret of the G string vs open B.
- Second string, fifth fret vs open high E.
Trick: if you're not sure, flatten it and come up from below. It's easier to come up into tune than to come down from sharp. I don't know why. It just is.
Even if your A wasn't a true A, the guitar will sound like a guitar. I've seen open-mic people play a four-minute song out of tune. Tune the guitar.
If You Have a Piano
Play a reference note. Find the middle of the keyboard, find C, play an E lower than that — that's your low E string. Tune the string to that, then do the fifth-fret method.
If you're in a band with a real piano, tune to the piano. Pianos don't get a quick peg twist (unless it's digital). You'll hear records where the piano is "out" and the band is with the piano — The Scientist by Coldplay, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, Louie Louie by the Kingsmen (tape speed is a whole other story). Tune to the piano.
Other Reference Pitches
Assume you don't have a phone app for a minute. You can use a song. If I want low E, I can think Enter Sandman, play the record, match that first note, then fifth-fret the rest. Lots of E songs and A songs work.
Why This Matters Beyond Survival
Your ear is more important than your hands. Tuning every time you pick up the guitar — tuner or not — trains you to hear smaller pitch differences. Do it on the regular.
What's your favorite no-tuner method? Which one are you going to try? If you want a simple place to start, grab my free Top 10 Things to Learn on Guitar First at http://simpleguitar.com/top10.
And hang out with other adult guitar players in the Simple Guitar Facebook group: http://facebook.com/groups/simpleguitar.
About the Author
Brad from Simple Guitar helps adult learners play the songs they love without the frustration. Visit simpleguitar.com for more free resources and lessons.
