can anyone help me tune a guitar

[zen_dawg]

i just picked up a used classical guitar for $15 from a garage sale and i need help tuning it. can anyone help out an inspiring/wannabe guitar player please? i know there are some talented musicians here.

thanks
Zen

[FalconGuy016]

I cant play the guitar worth anything but I can tell you how to tune it

you need to have your BASE string (fattest) tuned already though, because thats how you are going to tune the others... it wont be most likely, but its ok once you learn this you can do it later when the string is tuned properly (with a tuning fork or a tuning devise, can be bought for 20$)

*getting guitar out*

sorry if you know all this, but I dont know if you do
the little silver lines on the guitar neck are frets
- Count to the 5th fret on the fat string (low E)
- put your finger a little behind it, hold it firmly, and play that string
- while holding that there, play the string one step up (the next biggest one) make sure you arent touching the string with your 5th fret finger
- now, tune the second biggest string with the little nob GENTLY until the two strings sound the same
- when they are in tune with each other, move on to the next string (the just tuned one) and do the same thing
- keep doing this until you reach the EDIT** 4th string, which then you will hold the 4th fret instead of the 5th fret to tune the last string (smallest one - high E)

Hope this helps, ask questions if you need so im right here

[cphilip]

Get a Tuner and tune to the 440. Its the easiest way. They are cheap.

[FalconGuy016]

you lazy bum :p

[Trench]

I mayhave one laying around... let me see if I can find it...

[spazzed]

Yep.

Korg has some pretty good, cheap ones.

Try http://www.musiciansfriend.com

There was a trick for tuning to a piano that I learned once, but I don't remember it. :confused:

[EsPo]

www.guitarworld.com has a tuner, and lots of other stuff for guitar players..

[Trench]

I HAD one and was going to just send it to ya, but my cousin has it... Sorry man...

[PurePower]

There are free programs you can download to tune your guitar. I don't know the links off hand but just do a search at like www.download.com . If you have a mic it will even show you what your guitar is at. The strings Going from the top (closest to you) are (top of neck)E(low) A D G B (bottom of neck)E(high) tune the low E first. Then if you read the post above you can tune the rest yourself or use the program to tune it.

[dave_p]

i may be wrong but i used to tune my bass to the dialtone.
my brother once mentioned he thought the dial tone was A440
so i would pick up the phone, tune my A string to that and go from there.
of course i bought a tuner and have used that for the past 13 years.
once you get the hang of playing a bit you can tune to records or the radio, although not all recordings are proper pitch. so sometimes its a neccesity if you want to play along with a favorite tune.

[cheetah256]

one thing, if it has strings on it now, ditch em and get new ones...theres nothing like the feel of new strings : ) theres also the sound factor : )

[zen_dawg]

i tried tuning it by ear but i ended up snapping the third string from the top(i believe its the D string), OMG that was scary lol, i almost got whipped in the face. so i said the hell with it and i went out and bought a $20 dollar electronic guitar tuner and a set of Ernie Ball strings.

again thanks for all your help,
Zen

[Sooky]

If your serious about guitar, I think you HAVE to learn to tune it without an electronic tuner. Just everytime you pick it up, try and tune it. If you can't get it, use the electronic one, and see where you went wrong. It takes a lot of PRACTICE, and even if your between being tone deaf, and a music whiz, it'll still take forever - like me! Don't rely soley on it, cause it will be a crutch in the future. :D

[bowser************]

yo, if u can read tab, then...

e|-----|
B|--5--|
G|--4--|
D|--5--| = the next higher string
A|--5--|
E|--5--|

e|--0--|
B|--0--|
G|--0--|
D|--0--|
A|--0--|
E|-----|

so E-5 goes to A-0, G-4 to B-0,etc

dunno whether this will help u much but whatever

AND, here is where u can learn how to read tab if u cant already,
http://www.olga.net/faq/tabbing.php

good luck man

[FatMan]

if you have access to a piano, turn your E string (that's the fat one) to the 2nd E below middle C - then work your way up

E A D G B E

then do it again, and again until you find you don't have to adjust the strings any more.

When you make major changes in the tuning the neck will bend some, throwing off the tuning of the first string you tuned.

If the guitar is way out, you may have to do this 2 or 3 times. If its close, one time through will do.

Once you have it "in tune" you should tune it to itself using the methods described by others (tune the smaller strings to the E string) because the intonation may be such that the sound is inconsistent if tuned directly to a piano - and the piano may be off.

If you broke a string you either had REALLY old strings, or you tuned it WAY to high.

An electronic tuner is nice - but many of them can only tell you the note, and not the octave. Once you get it close, minor adjustments back into tune can be done with the electronic deal or tuning to the E string (which is the least likely to "go out").

FatMan

[FreshmanBob]

first of all

take some lessons!!! they're the BEST way to learn, and if you stick with it (you'll learn a lot of stupid boring stuff at first that seems dumb, but comes in great use later) you can get good.


as far as tuning goes, Falconguy had it right but you have to hear when its in tune. Play the one note, then the combined notes like Falconguy said and listening for the "wah". Ajust the tuners a little bit at a time so the wah gets longer (from wahwahwahwahwah to waah waaah waah) and it gets real slow, or fades completely.

Tuners are not really that great, an you should learn to tune with your ear. They do however, help get that first note you need in tune, but a piano or any other melodic instrament can do that.

[dave_p]

to all you guys saying a tuner is a crutch, that is BS.
if you are out playing gigs, its not enough for everyone just to have their instrument in tune, they all have to be tuned to the same pitch. i want to meet the individual that can tune his axe to 440 by ear. if you arent using a tuner then tune off the keyboard player. a properly set up guitar will usually be set so neck tension and relief is optimum at standard pitch(440).
yes it is important to be able to tune your instrument to itself by ear, but you need a reference if you want to be in tune with the music you are playing. or if you have perfect pitch its not an issue.

having correct string length is important too, adjustable by moving the saddles on the bridge(electrics) backward or forward(or playing with the fulcrum on some acoustics). just cuz the guitar plays in tune at the 5th fret, doesnt mean it wont be a little sharp or flat @ 18th to 22nd fret.