Guitar
Tuning
Since TABs don’t tell you how a song should
sound it is important that
you have
the same tuning as what is meant for the particular TAB. Most TABs
refer to the
use of standard tunings.
If
not, the type of tuning is usually
indicated. Some of the popular guitar tunings are the drop D (dadgad),
double drop D (dadgbd), drop C (cgcfad), open G (dgdgbd), open C
(cgcgce)
and tuning down a full step. Without having the same tuning it is
impossible to get the song you are playing right.
Tuning involves tightening or loosening the strings to raise or lower
the pitch to
match the required key for that string. There are a few ways to tune
your guitar.
You can either use an electronic tuner, tune by ear or tune to a
keyboard.
You can use the online guitar tuner above to
tune your guitar to standard tuning (eadgbe).
Using
an Electronic Guitar Tuner to tune your guitar
This is
probably the fastest and easiest way to tune your guitar. It is also
the most
accurate.
Electronic
tuners come with a built in microphone for use
with an acoustic guitar.
If
you use an electric guitar you can plug in the
tuner using the guitar cable. In fact, electronic guitar tuners are
more accurately an electric guitar tuner which can also be used to tune
acoustic guitars.
A good
electronic tuner will tell you whether your string
is too loose or too tight and allow a variety of different tunings.
Figure 2:
Electronic Tuner
Relative Tuning
Also known
as tuning by ‘ear’, it is probably the most common way people tune
their guitar. Referring to standard tuning, tuning by ear requires you
to first tune
the 6th string to E (assuming you know how the key ‘E’ sounds like or
use another
tuning method to tune the 6th string) and then tune the 5th string to
it. When you
get the 5th string tuned correctly you can then tune and 4th string and
then use the
4th string to tune and 3rd string and so on.
Here is the
actual process:
- Press
down on the fifth fret of the 6th string. Play the 6th string and the
open 5th string. If the open 5th string sounds lower than the
6th
string then tighten the 5th string until the two notes matches. If the
open 5th string sounds higher than the 6th string then loosen the open
5th string until you get a match. Now you got the 5th string tuned.
- Next,
put your finger on the fifth fret of the 5th string and play that
string andtheopen 4th string and adjust the 4th string accordingly.Now
tune the open 3rd string to the 4th string with your finger on its’
fifth fret.
- Tuning the 2nd string is a little bit
different. Instead of placing your finger on
the fifth fret place your finger on the FOURTH fret of the 3rd string
and tune
the open 2nd string to it.
- Lastly tune the 1st string to the 2nd
string fretted on the fifth fret.
Always adjust the tuning keys of the open string and not on the string
you are
fretting.
The following diagrams will help you understand the process even
better. Remember that you need to get the tuning of the 6th string
right first and
this only works if you want to tune to a standard tuning or similar to
it.
Figure 3: Relative tuning
Tuning to a Keyboard.
You can tune your guitar by using a keyboard or piano as a reference.
Certain
notes on the keyboard correspond to the open strings of a guitar.
Figure 4: Tuning To a Keyboard
How
to read tabs basics : Single Notes
Pages:
How
to read guitar tabs: The Basic Understanding
Basic
Guitar Tuning
How
to play guitar tabs: Single Notes
How
to play Chords on Guitar Tabs
Barre
Chords
Power
Chords
Strumming
Hammer-ons
and Pull-offs
Slides
and Variations
Bends
Vibrato,
Palm Muting, Rake, Harmonics, Tapping, Using a Capo
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How To Read Guitar Tabs Reference
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