How to Tune a Guitar by Ear

To tune a guitar by ear, get one string right against a reference pitch, such as a tone from the Guitar Tuner, then tune the other five to it. Fret each string at the 5th fret (the 4th on the G string) and match the next open string, turning the peg until the wobble between the two notes slows and stops. Once you've practised, it takes a few minutes. If you'd rather let a needle do the listening, see How to Tune a Guitar With an Online Tuner.

What you'll need

• A six-string guitar.
• A reference pitch for one string. The Guitar Tuner's string buttons play each target note and don't need the microphone. A piano, keyboard, or another in-tune instrument works too.
• Or nothing. Relative tuning gets the guitar in tune with itself, but it may sit above or below concert pitch: fine alone, a problem with other players or recordings.

The six target notes are E2, A2, D3, G3, B3 and E4, from the thickest string to the thinnest. Standard Guitar Tuning: The EADGBE Notes explains why they're spaced the way they are.

Listening for beats when you tune a guitar by ear

Beats are the regular pulse in volume you hear when two nearly identical pitches sound together, and they slow down and stop as the pitches match. Hearing them is the core skill. Two notes that are close but not identical blend into one note with that slow pulse.

The speed of that pulse is the difference between the two frequencies. A string at 110 Hz against one at 111 Hz beats about once a second; 110 against 113 beats three times a second. So:

• Fast wobble: the notes are far apart.
• Slowing wobble: you're turning the peg the right way.
• No wobble, one steady note: they match.

To hear it clearly, pluck both notes, let them ring together, and turn the peg slowly while you listen.

Tune up to the note, not down to it. If a string is sharp, loosen it until it's clearly below the target, then bring it back up. That keeps the tuning machine's gears pressed together, so the string is less likely to slip flat.

Step 1: set your reference string

Open the Guitar Tuner. Below the meter is a row labelled "Strings — tap to hear the reference note", with buttons for E2, A2, D3, G3, B3 and E4.

Tap one and it plays that note as a steady tone for about three seconds; tap it again to stop early. The tones don't need the microphone.

Pick one string as your anchor. The A string (A2, 110 Hz) is a common choice, and the low E (E2, 82.41 Hz) works if you want to tune from the bottom up. Play the tone, pluck the open string, and adjust until the beats stop.

A low E2 tone can be hard to hear on small laptop or phone speakers. Use headphones, or start from the A string or high E4 instead.

The "A4 =" field defaults to 440 Hz and accepts 415 to 466 Hz; the tones follow it. Leave it at 440 unless you're matching something tuned elsewhere.

Step 2: tune the rest with the 5th-fret method

Each string, fretted at the 5th fret, plays the same note as the next open string up. The one exception is the G string, which you fret at the 4th. If your anchor was the A string, first tune the low E so its 5th fret matches the open A, then carry on from the A.

1. Low E, 5th fret = open A. Fret the 6th string at the 5th fret and pluck it with the open 5th string. Adjust the A until the beats stop (or adjust the low E instead, if A is your anchor).
2. A, 5th fret = open D. Fret the 5th string at the 5th fret and tune the open D to it.
3. D, 5th fret = open G. Fret the 4th string at the 5th fret and tune the open G to it.
4. G, 4th fret = open B. The odd one out: G to B is a major third (four semitones), so fret the 3rd string at the 4th fret and tune the open B to it.
5. B, 5th fret = open high E. Fret the 2nd string at the 5th fret and tune the open 1st string to it.

Each string is tuned from the one before it, so small errors stack up. When you finish, check the high E against the low E: they're the same note two octaves apart and should sound clean together. Or compare it with the E4 reference tone. If it's off, work back through the chain.

Alternative: tune with harmonics

Natural harmonics give a purer, longer-ringing tone than fretted notes, which makes the beats easier to hear. To play one, touch the string lightly directly above the fret wire, without pressing it down, and pluck.

For the lower strings, pair the 5th-fret harmonic on one string with the 7th-fret harmonic on the next:

• 5th-fret harmonic on low E against 7th-fret harmonic on A
• 5th-fret harmonic on A against 7th-fret harmonic on D
• 5th-fret harmonic on D against 7th-fret harmonic on G

Play both harmonics, let them ring together, and adjust the higher string until the beats stop.

There is one catch. Harmonics match pure acoustic intervals, but frets are laid out in equal temperament, where every semitone is exactly the same size. The two differ by about 2 cents per string, and that gap accumulates as you work across. (A cent is a hundredth of a semitone; Semitones and Cents: A Pitch Changer Guide has the details.) The harmonic pairing also doesn't work the same way for G to B, because of that major third. Many players use harmonics for the lower strings and the fretted method for G to B and B to E.

Check your work with the tuner

To see how close you got, press "Start tuner" and allow the microphone when the browser asks. Pluck each string. The needle shows how many cents sharp or flat it is, and within 5 cents either side the note turns green and reads "In tune". Further out, the hint says "Too low — tune up" or "Too high — tune down", and beyond 50 cents it switches to "Far too low — tighten the string" or "Far too high — loosen the string".

Tuning by ear and then checking is a good way to learn what a few cents off sounds like. For more listening practice, How to Transcribe Music by Ear (Step by Step) builds on it. The microphone signal is analysed live in your browser, so your audio never leaves your device.

Troubleshooting

You can't hear the beats. Mute the strings you aren't using with your fretting hand so only two notes ring. Pluck a little harder and let both notes ring. If fretted notes still sound muddy, try the harmonics method, which rings cleaner.

The guitar is in tune with itself but sounds wrong with a band or recording. Relative tuning makes the strings agree with each other, not with anyone else. Start again from a reference tone. If you're playing along to a recording and it still clashes, the recording may not be at A440. Try adjusting the "A4 =" field until the reference tone matches the track. What Is Concert Pitch? A Pitch Changer Guide explains why that happens.

Chords still sound off after tuning. New strings stretch and drift flat, so retune after a few minutes of playing. If open strings are in tune but chords higher up the neck sound sour, that's usually intonation, which is a setup issue rather than a tuning one.

Related

Once standard tuning feels easy by ear, Drop D Tuning: How to Tune Your Guitar shows how to drop the low E a whole step, with two by-ear checks. For Open G, DADGAD and others, see Alternate Guitar Tunings: Open G, DADGAD & More.

Frequently asked questions

Is tuning by ear as accurate as a tuner?

It can get close, but a tuner is usually more precise and more consistent. Listening for beats is a sensitive way to hear small differences, yet errors build up as you tune each string from the last one. A good approach is to tune by ear, then check with a tuner. That confirms the result and teaches you what small pitch errors sound like.

Can I tune by ear without any reference note?

Yes. Pick one string, usually the low E, accept it as it is, and tune the other five to it with the 5th-fret method. The guitar will be in tune with itself, which is fine for playing alone. It may not match concert pitch, though, so it can sound out of tune next to other instruments or recordings.

Why use the 4th fret on the G string?

In standard tuning, every pair of neighbouring strings is a perfect fourth apart (five frets) except G to B, which is a major third (four frets). So the G string fretted at the 4th fret gives you B, the note of the open string above it. Using the 5th fret there would give you C and throw off the next two strings.

Is it better to tune up or down to a note?

Tune up to it. If a string is sharp, loosen it until it's below the target, then tighten back up to pitch. Tightening into the note keeps the gears in the tuning machine pressed together under tension. If you loosen down to a note and stop, the gear can sit in its slack, and the string tends to creep flat as you play.