How to Tune a Guitar for Beginners: Clip-On Tuners, Smartphone Apps & Tuning by Ear (EADGBE)

The 6 Strings in Standard Tuning: EADGBE

From the thickest string (closest to your chin) to the thinnest string (closest to the floor):

• String 6 (Thickest): Low E (E2 = ~82.4 Hz)
• String 5: A (A2 = ~110.0 Hz)
• String 4: D (D3 = ~146.8 Hz)
• String 3: G (G3 = ~196.0 Hz)
• String 2: B (B3 = ~246.9 Hz)
• String 1 (Thinnest): High E (E4 = ~329.6 Hz)

Helpful Mnemonic to Remember: Every Adult Deserves Guitar Before Everything!

The 3 Methods to Tune Your Guitar

Method 1: Digital Clip-On Vibration Tuner (Best for Accuracy)

A clip-on tuner (like Snark, D'Addario, or Cherub) clips directly to your guitar headstock. It measures the physical vibration through the wood rather than ambient sound, making it immune to noisy rooms or outside street traffic.

Method 2: Free Smartphone Apps (GuitarTuna, Fender Tune)

Place your smartphone on your knee with the microphone facing the acoustic soundhole. Pluck a single open string and watch the digital dial turn green when centered.

Method 3: The 5th Fret Relative Tuning Method (Train Your Ear)

Once your Low E string is tuned, you can tune the rest of the guitar using relative intervals:

• 5th fret of 6th string = Open 5th string (A)
• 5th fret of 5th string = Open 4th string (D)
• 5th fret of 4th string = Open 3rd string (G)
• 4th fret of 3rd string = Open 2nd string (B) (Notice: 4th fret!)
• 5th fret of 2nd string = Open 1st string (High E)

The Golden Rule: "Tune Up, Never Down"

If a string is sharp (too high in pitch), tune it lower than the target note first, and then tune upward to the center. Tuning upward locks the tuning peg gear teeth firmly under string tension, preventing the string from slipping out of tune while playing.