Tune a Guitar Without a Tuner

Tuning a guitar is one of the most important, basic guitar lessons that are to be given to aspiring musicians. It is the base from where you start to get acquainted to various notes, tones, and pitches. There are several different methods that can be used for the purpose of tuning an acoustic or an electric guitar. The most commonly used one is to use a guitar tuner. Other tuning techniques include tuning by ear; such as using a keyboard, an online guitar tuner, or any particular song.

Tuning a Guitar Without a Tuner

Generally, beginners tend to start using chromatic guitar tuners for getting their instruments in a proper standard tone. Though guitars can perfectly be tuned using tuners, this method may be considered somewhat unsuitable for beginners. Since beginners have to first know how to tune the guitar, it is better if they learn to do so using natural techniques and that is simply by listening to the tone of a particular string.

If aspiring guitarists are not trained, they will not understand the sound of standard strings. And if this becomes the case, a guitarist who has the habit of using chromatic tuners will find it very difficult to get the guitar in proper tune without using the device. Tuning a guitar without a tuner is truly a task of listening with significant concentration and determining precise notes of the strings.

Standard Guitar Tuning

The following is a standard pattern in which a six-string rhythm guitar is supposed to be tuned.

e(1st)----------------------------
B(2nd)---------------------------
G(3rd)---------------------------
D(4th)---------------------------
A(5th)---------------------------
E(6th)---------------------------

You can start the tuning procedure with any of the strings. However, it is suggested that you start with the last one which is the thickest 'E' string. In order to tune the guitar in a universal tuning pattern, you will have to tune any of the strings to its respective universal tone, and then tune rest of the strings accordingly. To do so, you can sing a song to find out the universal note of any string. Make sure that the song starts in a particular universal scale or note you are well aware of. For example, select any song that starts with the 'E major' note, and tune the last 'E' string to that note.

After you have tuned the last string to an 'E' open note, move on to the fifth string. Press the last string down on the fifth fret and pluck. Now, listen carefully to the note produced by the last string, and tune the open fifth string to that note. Now you will have to tune the fourth string according to the sound produced by holding the string down on fifth fret of the fifth string. Tune the third string using the same pattern. Note that the second string is tuned by holding the fourth fret on the third string, and not the fifth fret. In order to tune the first string, again hold the fifth fret on the second string and tune it into a higher 'E' open sound. Once you think all strings are tuned properly, play a chord to see if it sounds alright.

This is the standard procedure for tuning a guitar without using a chromatic tuner. Hopefully, after reading this article, you're now well aware of how to tune a guitar without a tuner. For the tuning purpose, you also have the option of using a keyboard to get precise notes.