How to tune a guitar by ear, step by step

To tune a guitar by ear, you compare each string with one that’s already in tune. In the classic method, the low E fretted at the fifth fret should sound the same as the open A, and so on up to the high E. There’s one exception: you tune the B string to the G string fretted at the fourth fret.

That gets the guitar in tune with itself, which is all you need to play on your own. If you’re playing with other people or with recordings, it also has to sit at 440 Hz, and for that you need a reference note to start from.

First, a reference note

The first string you tune sets the pitch for all the others. If the low E is a bit flat, the whole guitar ends up a bit flat, even if it sounds fine with itself.

You can get the reference from any of these:

If you’ve got none of these, tune the low E to a pitch that sounds reasonable, no tighter than usual, and carry on. The guitar will sound fine on its own, even if it isn’t at 440.

How to hear whether two notes are in tune

When two notes are very close, it’s hard to tell which one is higher. It’s easier to let them ring together and listen for beats.

Two nearly identical notes played together make the sound pulse: you hear the volume swell and fade. The further apart the notes, the faster the wobble. Turn the peg the right way and it slows down; when it stops and the sound holds steady, the notes match. If it speeds up, you’re turning the wrong way.

Always come up to the note from below. If you overshoot, drop below it and bring it back up, so the tuning peg holds the tension and the string doesn’t slip once you start playing.

The fifth-fret method

You only need one string in tune to start. With the low E tuned to your reference:

Every other pair of neighboring strings is five frets apart, but the G and B are four, which is why that step changes.

Since each string depends on the one before it, a small error gets carried into every string after it. Fret just behind the fret, with the same pressure every time and no harder than you need, because a string pressed hard goes slightly sharp.

Tuning with harmonics

Harmonics are the clear, bell-like notes you get by resting a finger on the string right over the fret, without pressing it down, and lifting it as soon as you pick. They keep ringing after you let go, so your hand is free to turn the peg while you listen, and the beats are very easy to hear.

Compare them in pairs:

This method leaves a small error behind. Harmonics give pure intervals, and frets split the octave into twelve equal semitones, which aren’t quite pure. The difference is about 2 cents per string (a cent is a hundredth of a semitone), and it adds up: the G can end up about 6 cents flat and the B a couple of cents sharp, and those 8 cents between them are enough to make some chords sound off. After tuning with harmonics, go over those two strings with the checks in the next section.

Check the result with octaves and chords

When you’re done, these checks bring out any errors that have built up:

Tightening some strings makes the neck give a little and the others shift, so a second pass is normal, especially if the guitar was way out of tune or has a floating bridge.

On bass and ukulele

A four-string bass has the same notes as the guitar’s four lowest strings, E-A-D-G, an octave lower. The fifth-fret method works on every string, without the guitar’s exception, and the 5th- and 7th-fret harmonics work the same way. On bass, harmonics help even more, because low notes are harder to compare.

On ukulele, in standard G-C-E-A tuning, the C string is your reference. Fretted at the fourth fret it gives the E of the next string, and the E string at the fifth fret gives the A. The G string is higher than the C, so you compare it with the E string at the third fret, which gives that same G.

By ear or with a tuner?

Tuning by ear gets you out of a jam when there’s no tuner around, and with practice you learn to hear whether the guitar sounds right beyond what the indicator says.

In a noisy room, though, you can’t hear the beats, and without an outside reference the guitar won’t be at 440. For playing with others, recording or tuning quickly before a rehearsal, a tuner is more accurate and faster. You can also combine the two: tune with the tuner, then check by ear with a couple of chords.

Frequently asked questions

Can you tune a guitar with no reference at all?

Yes, but it’ll only be in tune with itself. Tune the low E to a reasonable pitch and the rest with the fifth-fret method. It’ll sound fine when you play on your own, though it probably won’t match other instruments or recordings, which are almost always at 440 Hz.

Why is the second string tuned at the fourth fret instead of the fifth?

Because in standard tuning every pair of neighboring strings is a fourth apart, five frets, except the G and B, which are a major third apart, four frets. So to tune the B, you fret the G at the fourth fret.

What are beats when tuning?

The wobble you hear when two almost identical notes ring together. The closer they are, the slower it gets, and when it disappears the two notes are in tune with each other.

Is it better to tune by ear or with a tuner?

For accuracy and speed, a tuner, especially if you’re playing with other people. Tuning by ear is handy when there’s no tuner around, and for checking afterward that your chords sound right.

How do I tune a guitar to a piano?

Play the second E below middle C on the piano and tune the open low E to it. From there, tune the rest with the fifth-fret method, or compare each string with its note on the piano: A, D, G, B and E.

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