How to tune a guitar
A guitar sounds easier to play when its strings are close to the pitches the music expects. This guide covers standard tuning and a calm, repeatable way to tune with the browser tuner.
Standard tuning: E A D G B E
On a six-string guitar in standard tuning, the strings go from the thickest (lowest sounding) to the thinnest (highest sounding): E2, A2, D3, G3, B3, E4. When you hold the guitar in playing position, the low E is closest to your face and the high E is closest to the floor. The tuner may display note names with octave numbers; if it shows the right letter but a different octave, check that you are plucking the intended string.
This is the common reference tuning, but songs and players sometimes use alternate tunings. If you are learning a song in another tuning, follow that song’s instructions instead of forcing each string to standard pitch.
Tune one string at a time
- Quiet the other strings. Let one string ring clearly while muting nearby strings with your picking hand or fretting hand.
- Pluck gently near the middle of the string. A very hard attack can make the pitch jump sharp for a moment. Wait for the note to settle.
- Read the note and direction. The browser tuner shows the nearest note and whether the pitch is sharp or flat. Adjust the tuning key in small movements.
- Approach the pitch from below when practical. If you pass the target, lower the string a little below it, then bring it back up. This can help the tuning hold more steadily.
- Repeat the string check. Changing string tension can affect neighboring strings, so make a second pass from low E to high E.
Open the free browser guitar tuner, choose a quiet room, and allow microphone access when your browser asks. The audio is processed in the page. If the reading jumps, move the device closer to the guitar, pluck more softly, and mute the strings you are not tuning. In a noisy room, a clip-on tuner that senses vibration may be easier to read.
Sharp, flat, or unstable?
A note is sharp when it is above the target pitch and flat when it is below. Turn the tuning key slowly, then pluck again and let the tuner refresh. Check that the tuner is listening to the correct string: a low E string can produce harmonics that confuse a microphone if the attack is loud or another string is ringing.
Fresh strings often stretch as they settle, so they may need frequent retuning at first. If a string slips repeatedly, feels unusually loose, or makes a sudden cracking sound, stop turning and check the string winding and instrument setup rather than forcing the peg.
A one-minute tuning check
Before practice, play each open string once in order, E–A–D–G–B–E. Correct only the strings that need it, then play a familiar chord. If the chord sounds unexpectedly rough, recheck the strings and make sure you used the right tuning. This quick routine makes tuning part of starting to play instead of a long interruption.
Next: try a metronome practice routine or return to the practice guides.