Tuning Your Guitar
A guitar that's out of tune will never sound good no matter how you play. Learn to use a tuner to set all 6 strings to standard pitch: E A D G B E.
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Standard tuning: E A D G B E
From the thickest 6th string to the thinnest 1st string, the target note names in order are E, A, D, G, B, E (both the 6th and 1st strings are E, just an octave apart).
Tune with our online tuner
Open the tuner page and allow microphone access. Pluck one open string at the mic (don't fret anything), and the screen shows which string your pitch is closest to, and whether it's sharp or flat.
Slowly turn the matching tuning peg until the needle centers and turns green — that string is in tune. Repeat string by string.
A tip for turning the pegs
If the pitch is flat, tighten the string; if it's sharp, loosen it. To finish, come up to pitch from “slightly flat” — that keeps the note more stable and less likely to slip back down.
- 💡 New strings and a brand-new guitar slip out of tune especially easily — tuning a few times over is completely normal.
⚠️ Common mistakes
- Cranking a string up too hard and fast — you can snap it. Turn slowly and listen as you go.
- Letting a finger accidentally touch the string while tuning, which scrambles the reading — only pluck the open string you're tuning.
- Tuning once and forgetting about it: new strings and a new guitar drift easily, so tune again a few times.
Practice checklist
- Use the tuner to get all 6 open strings to a centered, green needle.
- Without looking at the screen, name the strings 6→1 from memory (E A D G B E).