You
can’t play anything if your guitar is not
in tune so we need to have to tune up. There are
basically two ways of doing this- one is expensive
and one is free! Want to know about the free one?
Thought so! Play the Tune Up Guide video below.
This takes you through each string, showing how
your guitar should be tuned.
Each string is played twice, starting with
the low E string. This is the thickest of all
the strings- the one closest to your head when
you are holding the guitar. To tune this string
to the same note as the one in the video, you
need to pluck that string and then turn the
machine-head (tuning peg) for that string until
the note from the guitar is the same as the
one on the guide.
Note that this is called tuning up.
You need to do just that - tune up
to the correct note not down to it. If the note
is too high you need to turn the machine-head
until the note is lower, and then tune up to
the correct pitch. This helps to keep the guitar
in tune for longer.
Once the low E string is in tune, the others
need to be tuned. You will hear an A being played
twice after the low E. This is the next string
down, the second thickest one. Do exactly the
same to tune this string.
Then comes the D string, then the G, B and
E strings. So the notes on the guitar (low to
high) are E A D G B E.
The other method of tuning your guitar is to
buy an electronic tuner. This allows you to
tune up easily in a matter of seconds. This
will be a worthwhile investment in the future,
especially if you play live gigs and need to
tune up quickly on stage, but for the time being
it is fine to use your ear to tune your guitar,
as it will help to develop your pitch perception.
If you do want a guitar tuner, we sell quality
electronic guitar tuners
in our shop.
