Most guitars have six strings arranged in order from the lowest to the highest sounding note. You can tell this visually by a string’s thickness. A thicker gauge string plays a low (bass) sound while a thinner string plays a high (treble) sound. A right-handed person should strum with the right-hand and make chords with your left-hand.
Hold the guitar at a comfortable ‘natural feeling’ angle across your lap. The neck should be angled slightly above horizon (Imagine how you would carry an axe). The strings are numbered 6-5-4-3-2-1. The sixth is the lowest sound and the first is the highest. Each string is tuned to a specific frequency or note. Each note has a letter name. The notes of a standard guitar are: E(6) A(5) D(4) G(3) B(2) E(1).
1. Electronic Tuners [recommended]
The most common type of tuner is an electronic tuner. There are a variety of these and they detect sound in different ways. Some of them have an on-board microphone while others clip on the guitar and sense the vibrations. Still other require the guitar to be plugged in directly to the tuners.
Electronic tuners are the easiest to use because the gauge will display the note and string you are playing, and tell you whether which direction to tune the string.
2. Pitch Pipes
These are tuned to the same notes of the guitar. They have six different tubes with a reed that makes a pitch when you blow on it. You match each tube to the correct string and using your ear to adjust the string until it matches the sound of the pipe.
3. Tuning Forks
This is another way to tune by ear. Some purists believe it’s the only way. But this technique is recommended for advanced players only.
This video plays each of the six guitar strings from lowest to highest. Listen carefully and adjust your strings to match.
