How to Tune a Guitar (Beginner Guide)

Nothing kills your motivation faster than playing a guitar that sounds terrible - and nine times out of ten, the problem isn’t you. It’s that your guitar is out of tune. The good news? Tuning is one of the easiest skills to learn, and you’ll do it for about 30 seconds before every practice session for the rest of your guitar-playing life.

Here’s exactly how to do it.

Quick Start

Standard guitar tuning from the thickest string to the thinnest:

String	Number	Note
Thickest	6th	E (low)
	5th	A
	4th	D
	3rd	G
	2nd	B
Thinnest	1st	E (high)

Memory trick: Every Amateur Does Get Better Eventually.

Method 1: Using a Tuner App (Recommended)

This is the fastest and most accurate way, especially when you’re starting out.

Step by step:

Open your tuner app (Guitar Wiz has a built-in chromatic tuner).
Pluck the 6th string (the thickest one) - pluck it firmly but don’t strum.
Watch the display. It’ll show you what note it’s detecting and whether you’re sharp (too high) or flat (too low).
Turn the tuning peg for that string:
- If the needle is left of center (flat) → tighten the string (turn the peg away from you on the bass strings)
- If the needle is right of center (sharp) → loosen the string slightly
Get the needle dead center on the correct note.
Repeat for all 6 strings.

Pro tip: Always tune up to the note, not down. If you’ve gone too sharp, loosen the string below the target pitch, then tune back up. This keeps the string tension consistent and helps it stay in tune longer.

Method 2: Tuning by Ear (The Relative Method)

What if your phone’s dead and you’re sitting around a campfire? Here’s how guitarists tuned for centuries before apps existed.

The idea: you use one string as a reference and tune the others relative to it.

The 5th Fret Method:

Start with the 6th string. Either trust that it’s close enough, or match it to a piano’s low E, a tuning fork, or another guitar.
Press the 6th string at the 5th fret. That note is A - the same pitch your 5th string should be when played open.
Pluck both (the fretted 6th and the open 5th) and listen. Adjust the 5th string until they sound identical.
Press the 5th string at the 5th fret → tune the open 4th string (D) to match.
Press the 4th string at the 5th fret → tune the open 3rd string (G) to match.
Press the 3rd string at the 4TH fret (not the 5th!) → tune the open 2nd string (B) to match.
Press the 2nd string at the 5th fret → tune the open 1st string (E) to match.

Watch out for step 6! The B string is the oddball - it uses the 4th fret, not the 5th. This is because of how the guitar is tuned in intervals. Forget this and your B string will always sound wrong.

Method 3: Harmonics (Intermediate)

This produces a purer tone for more precise tuning. Lightly touch (don’t press) the string directly above the fret wire, pluck, and immediately lift your finger. You’ll hear a bell-like tone.

6th string, 5th fret harmonic = 5th string, 7th fret harmonic (both produce A)
5th string, 5th fret harmonic = 4th string, 7th fret harmonic
4th string, 5th fret harmonic = 3rd string, 7th fret harmonic
For B and high E, the harmonic method is trickier - stick with the fretted method or a tuner for those.

When two harmonics are close but not quite matched, you’ll hear a wobbling “wah-wah-wah” sound - those are beats. The faster the beats, the more out of tune you are. Adjust until the beats slow down and disappear completely.

Why Does My Guitar Keep Going Out of Tune?

If you just put on new strings, they’ll stretch and detune constantly for the first day or two. That’s normal. To speed up the break-in:

Tune to pitch
Gently pull each string away from the fretboard (about an inch)
Re-tune
Repeat 3-4 times per string

Other common causes:

Old strings - they lose their ability to hold pitch. Change them every 2-4 weeks if you play daily.
Temperature and humidity changes - wood expands and contracts, which shifts tuning.
Aggressive strumming - if you’re really digging in, you’ll push strings sharp. Lighten up or tune slightly flat to compensate.
Cheap tuning pegs - they can slip. If a peg won’t hold, it might need tightening or replacing.

Common Mistakes

Turning the wrong peg. Trace the string from the bridge all the way to the headstock. Make sure you know which peg moves which string before you crank on it.

Over-tightening. Strings can break. If the pitch keeps climbing and you’re nowhere near your target note, you’re probably tuning to the wrong octave. Loosen and start over.

Tuning in a noisy room. Background noise confuses both your ears and tuner apps. Find a quieter spot.

5-Minute Practice Drill

Tune your guitar with a tuner app - get every string green/centered.
Now detune your 1st string slightly flat.
Try to tune it back by ear using the 5th fret method from the 2nd string.
Check your work with the tuner. How close did you get?
Repeat with different strings. Over time, your ear will sharpen dramatically.

Try This in Guitar Wiz

Guitar Wiz includes a precision chromatic tuner that shows you the exact pitch of each string in real time. The visual needle makes it dead simple to see whether you’re sharp or flat. It also supports alternate tunings - select Drop D, Open G, DADGAD, or any custom tuning and the app adjusts the target pitches automatically.

Download Guitar Wiz on the App Store · Explore the Guitar Tuner →

FAQ

How often should I tune my guitar?

Every time you pick it up. Temperature changes, string aging, and normal play all cause drift. It takes 30 seconds and makes everything you play sound better.

Is standard tuning the only option?

Not at all. There are dozens of alternate tunings - Drop D, Open G, DADGAD, and more. But standard tuning (EADGBE) is the foundation that 95% of songs and lessons are built around, so start there.

Can I damage my guitar by tuning wrong?

If you significantly over-tighten a string, it can snap (which is startling but harmless to the guitar). In extreme cases, excessive tension could warp the neck, but that’s very unlikely with normal guitar strings tuned to standard pitch.