Being In Tune: How It Can Make You Or Break You -
Tuning the guitar will definitely make you sound better and when you hear
your playing sounds well, you'll enjoy practicing, and practicing will then
make you a better guitarist. Tuning your guitar properly is as important as
your knowledge and skills in guitar playing. Your skills and knowledge will be
nothing if you play an improperly tuned instrument. A properly tuned instrument
is also very important in recording. Before getting into how to actually tune
your guitar, let's explain the difference between a guitar being in tune with
itself (relative tuning), and being in absolute tune.
Relative Tuning
The main thing to understand about relative tuning is that a guitar can
be in tune with itself, but not necessarily be in tune with another instrument,
such as a piano. The thickest string on a guitar (ex. the 6th string)
corresponds with the note "E", and there is an absolute, known pitch
and frequency associated with this note. However, if your 6th string is not
exactly this pitch, it's not a big deal unless you're going to be playing with
a piano player or someone playing an instrument that isn't easily tunable. In
fact, many bands don't tune to the exact frequency of an "E". They
just tune to an "E" on somebody's guitar, and as long as they're in
tune with each other, everything sounds fine. For most beginners, it isn't
particularly important to be tuned to the exact pitch of an "E".
Absolute Tuning
If you need your guitar to be exactly in tune with e.g. a piano, then
you'll need a tuner or some other device that can give a reference to guarantee
accuracy.
The Unison Method
Here we use the high E-string as a reference note.
Tuning the B-string
Pluck the open high E-string.
Pluck the B-string at the 5th fret. Adjust it until
it has the same pitch as the open high E-string.
Tuning the G-string
Pluck the open B-string.
Pluck the G-string at the 4th fret. Adjust it until
it has the same pitch as the open B-string.
Tuning the D-string
Pluck the open G-string.
Pluck the D-string at the 5th fret. Adjust it until
it has the same pitch as the open G-string.
Tuning the A-string
Pluck the open D-string.
Pluck the A-string at the 5th fret. Adjust it until
it has the same pitch as the open D-string.
Tuning the low
E-string
Pluck the open A-string.
Pluck the low E-string at the 5th fret. Adjust it
until it has the same pitch as the open A-string.
One problem with this method is that if you get one
string wrong, the following strings will also be wrong. If you have tuned
accurately, the interval between the two E-strings should be exactly two
octaves.
Tuning with Octaves
In this method we use the low E-string as a reference note.
Pluck the open high E-string. Then, pluck the low E-string at the 12th
fret. This note should be in tune with the high E-string. If not, then adjust
it into tune.
Pluck the low E-string. Then, pluck the D-string at the 2nd fret. This
note should be in tune with the low E-string. If not, then adjust it into tune.
Pluck the A-string. Then, pluck the G-string at the 2nd fret. This note
should be in tune with the A-string. If not, then adjust it into tune.
Pluck the D-string. Then, pluck the B-string at the 3rd fret. This note
should be in tune with the D-string. If not, then adjust it into tune.
Here Is Another Example In Tuning With
Octaves :
Pluck the low E-string on the 3rd fret. Then, pluck the open
G-string.
This note should be in tune with the low E- string. If not, then adjust
it into tune.
Pluck the A-string on the 2nd fret. Then, pluck the open B-string.
This note should be in tune with the A-string. If not, then adjust it
into tune.
Pluck the D-string on the 2nd fret. Then, pluck the open high E-string.
This note should be in tune with the D-string. If not, then adjust it
into tune.
Tuning with
Harmonics
This is a great way to fine-tune your guitar after you've used the unison
method! Here we have the high E-string as the reference note.
Pluck the 5th fret harmonic on the low E-string. This should sound the
same pitch as the open high E-string. If not, adjust the low E-string.
Pluck the the A-string on the 7th fret. This should sound the same pitch
as the 12th fret harmonic on the low E- string. If not, adjust the A-string.
Pluck the D-string on the 7th fret. This should sound the same pitch as
the 12th fret harmonic on the A-string. If not, adjust the D-string.
Pluck the high E-string on the 7th fret. This should sound the same pitch
as the 12th fret harmonic on the B-string. If not, adjust the B-string.
Pluck the B-string on the 8th fret. This should sound the same pitch as
the 12th fret harmonic on the G-string. If not, adjust the G-string.
Finally, pluck the G-string at the 7th fret. This should should the same
pitch as the 12th fret harmonic on the D- string.
In step #2 and #3 you tune the fretted notes. In step #4 and #5
(and #1) you tune the harmonics.
*FOOTNOTE - It is important to let you know about 5/7 harmonic
tuning. This is a method that can only be used when tuning roughly and
quickly. A fine-tuned guitar will not play in tune with this method.
This is how many people tune : First, they strike the 5th fret harmonic
on the low E-string and compare it to the 7th fret harmonic on the A-string.
Then, they strike the 5th fret harmonic on the A-string and compare it to the
7th fret harmonic on the D-string, and so on.........
The reason for all this is that all harmonics are pure intervals,
but the guitar is constructed for the tempered scale.
