To accurately tune your guitar, you will first need to locate a correctly tuned instrument to provide a reference note. A piano or electric keyboard will work if one is available. (You have to know the names of the keys to use this method.) Otherwise, you can use the fret board below to get your reference note. We'll use the "Low E" for your reference note.

Place your mouse cursor directly above any string to hear its corresponding note. (Be sure your PC speaker volume is turned up.)

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This fret board is pictured as if lying flat on the lap of a right-handed guitarist. Similarly, guitar tablature is based on this exact same view. (See the "Guitar Tablature" example near the bottom of the page.)

The 6th string (thickest string on top) should be closest to you. The 1st string (thinnest string on the bottom) should be farthest away from you.
 

How to Tune a Guitar - The Steps
 

Place your mouse cursor directly on top of the string labeled "Low E" on the picture of the fret board. This is how you will get your reference note if a piano or keyboard is not available. (You should hear the note repeat 3 times.)

• Step One - Start with all of your strings very loose. As soon as you hear your reference note sound out, strum the top string once with your guitar pick. While still ringing, gradually tighten the string until its tone matches the tone of your reference note. (As soon as you hear the "Low E" reference note repeat, strum your top guitar string again and continue to tighten gradually. You will need to do this several times until the tones match.)

While your reference note and your guitar string are sounded simultaneously, you should hear a very faint "wah-wah-wah" type of sound. The object is to slow this "wah-wah" sound to nearly a complete stop. As the speed of this sound decreases, the closer you are to being properly tuned. Once you get it as slow as you possibly can, you're ready to tune the rest of your strings. If your reference note and guitar note don't blend together perfectly, you're still not in tune. These tones should sound identical to one another. When played simultaneously, there should not be any wavering (wah-wah sound) between the two tones.

• Step Two - Place your index or middle finger on the top string of your guitar at the 5th fret. This position is marked with an on the picture of the fret board. While pressing down on the top string at this position, strum it with your guitar pick and let it ring. While it's still ringing, strum the 5th string (A String) open. ("Open" means to strum the string without pressing down on any frets.) Gradually tighten the 5th string (A) until its tone matches the tone of your top string. Again, listen for the "wah-wah" sound and tighten or loosen the string accordingly until the "wah-wah" sound slows almost completely. Your A string is now in tune.
   

• Step Three - Place your index or middle finger on the 5th string of your guitar at the 5th fret. This position is marked with a on the picture of the fret board. While pressing down on the 5th string at this position, strum it with your guitar pick and let it ring. While it's still ringing, strum the 4th string (D String) open. Gradually tighten the 4th string (D) until its tone matches the tone of your 5th string. Your D string is now in tune.
   

• Step Four - Place your index or middle finger on the 4th string of your guitar at the 5th fret. This position is marked with a on the picture of the fret board. While pressing down on the 4th string at this position, strum it with your guitar pick and let it ring. While it's still ringing, strum the 3rd string (G String) open. Gradually tighten the 3rd string (G) until its tone matches the tone of your 4th string. Your G string is now in tune.
   

• Step Five - Place your index or middle finger on the 3rd string of your guitar at the 4th fret. This position is marked with a on the picture of the fret board. While pressing down on the 3rd string at this position, strum it with your guitar pick and let it ring. While it's still ringing, strum the 2nd string (B String) open. Gradually tighten the 2nd string (B) until its tone matches the tone of your 3rd string. Your B string is now in tune.
   

• Step Six - Place your index or middle finger on the 2nd string of your guitar at the 5th fret. This position is marked with an on the picture of the fret board. While pressing down on the 2nd string at this position, strum it with your guitar pick and let it ring. While it's still ringing, strum the 1st string (E String) open. Gradually tighten the 1st string (E) until its tone matches the tone of your 2nd string. Your E string is now in tune.
   

Congratulations! You've just finished learning how to tune a guitar.

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Below is a summary of names of each guitar string when using the standard guitar tuning format.
 

Low E 

A 

D 

G 

B 

High E 

=

=

=

=

=

=

6th String (Thickest string on top)

5th String (2nd from top)

4th String

3rd String

2nd String

1st String (Bottom string)

Click on the links above to hear the notes for reference.

Learning how to tune a guitar can be fairly tricky for novice guitar players. Because of this, it's strongly recommended that you purchase an electronic guitar tuner to use while you're still learning how to tune your guitar by ear. You should also use an electronic guitar tuner on stage if you perform publicly. It's extremely unprofessional to tune your guitar out loud in front of a live audience. With an electronic guitar tuner like the one below, you can discreetly tune your guitar onstage without anyone in the audience being aware of it.

Korg CA-30 Chromatic Tuner

This Korg CA-30 Chromatic Tuner can be used to tune an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar. It has a built in microphone for tuning acoustic guitars and a line-in jack for tuning electric guitars. It also has a built in speaker for broadcasting reference tones. This guitar tuner has great features and a very low price! Click on the picture of the tuner to check it out!

Guitar Tablature

Notice that the "bottom" line of the staff actually represents the "top" string on your guitar. This can be confusing when first learning to read guitar tablature.

The numbers on the staff represent the frets where you are to place your fingers. For example, a number 2 placed on the bottom line (Low E string) would mean to press down on the top string at the 2nd fret. This example does not show which finger to use however. Some guitar tablature shows which finger to use by placing the numbers 1 - 4 above the staff, directly over each note.

The example above shows the notes that make up an E Major chord as well as the E Major chord itself. To play this measure you would first play each note individually, starting with the top string (Low E) open and working your way down to the bottom string (High E), then you would play all of the notes simultaneously to form the E Major chord.