How to correctly tune your Guitar
There are several ways to tune a guitar. One is to use a set of pipes
for all six strings. I do not recommend this since a single pipe
can have the same result, and moreover alternate tunings are not covered
by the 6pipes-set. The second way is to use a single pipe as already
mentioned. This is usually a "A"-pipe with frequency of 440 Hz. On the
guitar it matches (unison) the 5th fret of the 1st string. The third
way is to use an "A"-fork. Well that's identical to a "A"-pipe and it
is a matter of taste which to use. Pipes are not expensive and handy to
carry with.
What about harmonics?
No! Tuning with harmonics---other than the 1st harmonic on the 12 fret which
is an octave above the open string---are not correct equal-tempered tunings.
The frequencies of natural harmonics (notes as found in the nature) which
are based on the length of vibrating strings (1/2, 2/3, 3/4, ...) do not
match the frequencies of the artificial equal-tempered tuning which is used
in the western music.
Octave based tunings
A tuning is called octave based tuning when we are comparing unisons or
octave intervals while tuning all the strings. Every octave based tuning
tunes a guitar correctly, if it is correctly done.
Popular tuning procedure. Unison tuning
The following tuning is the most popular one and it is entirely
based on unisons.
- Tune the 5th string with the A-pipe.
- Tune the 6th string: Fret the 6th string on the 5th fret and compare to the open 5th string.
- Tune the 4th string: Fret the 5th string on the 5th fret and compare to the open 4th string.
- Tune the 3rd string: Fret the 4th string on the 5th fret and compare to the open 3rd string.
- Tune the 2nd string: Fret the 3rd string on the 4th fret and compare to the open 2nd string.
- Tune the 1st string: Fret the 2nd string on the 5th fret and compare to the open 1st string.
The diagram illustrates the procedure.
e ||----|----|----|----|----|----|-
b ||----|----|----|----|--e-|----|-
g ||----|----|----|--b-|----|----|-
d ||----|----|----|----|--g-|----|-
a ||----|----|----|----|--d-|----|-
e ||----|----|----|----|--a-|----|-
1st 3rd 5th
A better tuning
Well an even better kind of tuning is based on octaves of the same note
for all the strings. You can tune all the six strings by comparing A tones
at different octaves and different strings with the open 2nd string (A).
This approach has the advantage that all the strings are compared to the same
string (2nd) and not to each other. So errors on tuning of one string does
not propagate.
Procedure:
- Tune the 5th string with the A-pipe.
- Tune the 6th string: Fret the 6th string on the 5th fret and compare to the open 5th string.
- Tune the 4th string: Fret the 4th string on the 7th fret and compare to the open 5th string.
- Tune the 3rd string: Fret the 3rd string on the 2th fret and compare to the open 5th string.
- Tune the 2nd string: Fret the 2nd string on the 10th fret and compare to the open 5th string.
- Tune the 1st string: Fret the 1sy string on the 5th fret and compare to the open 5th string.
e ||----|----|----|----|--a-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|...
b ||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|--a-|----|----|...
g ||----|--a-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|...
d ||----|----|----|----|----|----|--a-|----|----|----|----|----|...
a ||----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|...
e ||----|----|----|----|--a-|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|...
1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th 12th fret