How to Tune a Guitar - Introduction

There are several ways to tune a guitar (whether an acoustic or an electric).

Before we could start tuning, it is advisable if you could have a handy musical instrument
such as harmonica, a flute maybe, or a simple tuning pipe where you can get a reference
note or key. Moreover, a good perfectly made guitar is recommendable compared to
those cheap ones that you can buy in music stores. A good guitar means it has a sharp
“round” sound when you strike or strum it once to check its sound clarity. Also, one more
way to check it is by taking each string and finger pressing it all the way up to its octave
position on the 12th fret. The progressive notes should be going as “tuned” as possible
(one can refer this to the keys of a piano or an electronic keyboard organ). You should
always check these things when you buy a guitar because tuning will never be perfect for
an "imperfect" guitar craft.

It is assumed that the 6th string (bass E, the thickest string and in the topmost part) is
already tuned to an E-tuning pipe or any referenced E-note. Nonetheless, you can always
stretch the string to its tolerable tightness (not so tight and not too loose) to start with.
Moreover, some “gifted” person can easily remember the sound that refers to an E-note
and use that, in tuning. These talented musicians can tune the strings without having to
use their left hand on the fret board. (They tune guitars directly in open strings, that is!)

Next time, we will talk about how to tune a guitar step-by-step.

See yah...Be well and be safe always.