Online Guitar Tuner
- Click on a letter to hear the sound of the string you want to tune.
- Click on the letter again to stop the sound.
Additional tuning tips using the online guitar tuner:
How to tune if you don’t have a tuner:
This problem shouldn’t affect you very often (especially if you are reading this page where the online guitar tuner is literally right at the very top :) ), but the answer is simple:
Get your guitar in tune with itself (and then adjust your tuning when you have access to a real online guitar tuner).
Tuning your guitar "with itself" (without the help of an online guitar tuner) means: make sure the strings are in tune with each other – so when you strum a chord or play notes on different strings, the guitar sounds in tune.
Your guitar will likely not be tuned to the exact 440 hz tuning (that you get when using an online guitar tuner) when you are done, but since you will likely be practicing by yourself, it doesn't matter.
(If/when you do play with another musician, you can ask them to give you a reference pitch to tune your guitar to.)
There are 2 primary ways to get your guitar in tune with itself the “old school” way without an online guitar tuner.
The first way is to use the fret system, like this:
- Tune the 5th fret of the low E string with the open A string. (Assume that the low E string is in tune… unless it sounds horribly sharp or flat to your ears.)
- Tune the 5th fret of the A string with the open D string.
- Tune the 5th fret of the D string with the open G string.
- Tune the 4th fret of the G string with the open B string.
- Tune the 5th fret of the B string with the open high E string.
The second way is to tune using harmonics. Like this:
Play a natural harmonic on the 5th fret on the low E string. It should match (exactly) the sound of the harmonic on the 7th fret of the A string.
Play a natural harmonic on the 5th fret on the A string. It should match (exactly) the sound of the harmonic on the 7th fret of the D string.
Play a natural harmonic on the 5th fret on the D string. It should match (exactly) the sound of the harmonic on the 7th fret of the G string.
Play a natural harmonic on the 4th fret on the G string. It should match (exactly) the sound of the harmonic on the 5th fret of the B string.
Play a natural harmonic on the 5th fret on the B string. It should match (exactly) the sound of the harmonic on the 7th fret of the high E string.
What to do if your guitar doesn’t play in tune all the way up the fretboard:
It likely means your intonation is off.
To check your intonation, play a natural harmonic on the 12th fret (of any string). You don't need an online guitar tuner for this.
Then, immediately play the 12th fret fretted note on that string.
The 2 pitches need to be identical. If one pitch (either the harmonic or the fretted note) sound much higher than the other, your intonation on that string is off.
Check your intonation on every string. Then adjust it if necessary.
Should you use a tuner for bends and vibrato?
Answer: no.
Use your ear to refine your string bends and vibrato.