| Step 1. The very first thing you should do when you | | | | small metal strips that divide the guitar into sections |
| get your guitar is tune it. Don't put it off. Put the time in | | | | from top to bottom. Together they form a kind of grid |
| and learn how to tune it. I've seen intermediate and | | | | that covers the entire neck of the guitar. In the next |
| advanced players struggling with this simple procedure | | | | lesson we will read these grids or charts. The dots |
| simply because they didn't put the time in to learn. | | | | represent the place where you place your finger on |
| Sure, you want to dive right in and actually learn how | | | | the string in between two of the frets. Naturally, the |
| to play, but if you don't develop a knack for tuning your | | | | higher up you get on the frets, the higher the notes |
| guitar you will never sound right and worse yet later on | | | | sound. In general, each fret is a half-step higher than |
| down the road, no matter how good you get playing | | | | the previous fret. Play some notes on each fret, get a |
| the guitar, tuning it will make you nervous (especially in | | | | feel for the neck as you press down on the fret. |
| public). | | | | Step 5. In order to begin tuning the guitar, you'll need to |
| How often should you tune your guitar? As often as it | | | | borrow a pitch from another instrument. It can be any |
| gets out of tune. Some go out of tune very easy - | | | | instrument or even a pitch fork, better yet, google |
| every time you stand it up or put it in or take it out of | | | | "guitar tuning" online and get your pitch that way. Once |
| the case, or even strumming too hard - no matter -- | | | | you've found this pitch you'll be able to tune the rest of |
| get confident and fast at tuning your guitar. | | | | your instrument by using that one note. Once you get |
| At first it may take you five minutes or more to get | | | | the E note off google, hum along with it until your voice |
| your instrument in tune, but the more familiar you are | | | | matches the note. |
| with tuning, the more quickly you'll be able to do it. | | | | Get use to finding and using this pitch to tune your |
| Many guitarists can get their instrument in tune in about | | | | guitar, you'll need to do it every time you play with |
| 30 seconds. Talk about fast, I want to tell you a story | | | | another instrument. When you play alone it doesn't |
| about a jazz player who has to have the land speed | | | | make any difference as long as you are in tune with |
| record for tuning a guitar, but I'll get to that later after | | | | yourself. |
| we go through the steps. For now, let's get into the | | | | Steps 6. Tune Your Guitar |
| process of tuning the instrument. | | | | Now you're ready to tune the rest of the strings. Make |
| Step 2. The actual tuning of the guitar involves | | | | sure your sixth string is in tune (use reference pitch) |
| adjusting the pitch of each of your strings so that they | | | | *Play the sixth string, fifth fret (A), then tune your open |
| play the correct note. Naturally, you would do this by | | | | fifth string (A) until it they sound the same. |
| tightening or loosening each of the tuning pegs (on the | | | | *Play the fifth string, fifth fret (D), then tune your open |
| headstock). Turn the tuning peg to clockwise to tighten | | | | fourth string (D) until they sound the same. |
| the pitch of a string, while counter clockwise loosens | | | | *Play the fourth string, fifth fret (G), then tune your |
| the peg and lowers the pitch. There are a many | | | | open third string (G) until they sound the same. |
| methods you can use to tune your guitar, this one is | | | | *Play the third string, fourth fret (B), then tune your |
| the simplest. Don't be afraid, tighten and loosen a peg | | | | open second string (B) until they sound the same. |
| to get the feel of it. | | | | *Play the second string, fifth fret (E), then tune your |
| Step 3. The guitar has six strings, each one has a | | | | open first string (E) until they sound the same. |
| different size and pitch. In standard tuning, the bottom | | | | That's it, you're ready to roll! Good Luck! |
| string (also the skinniest and highest sounding) is an E. | | | | Oh yea, about that speed tuning story. I was at the |
| This is also known as the 1st string. The 2nd string up | | | | Fillmore in San Francisco a few years back watching |
| (a little bit thicker and lower sounding) is a B note. The | | | | John Scofield ripping it up, a really great player, |
| 3rd string up is a G note, 4th is a D, 5th is an A, and | | | | amazing, when his E string broke. Without breaking |
| the 6th string the (thickest is another E note, although a | | | | stroke he leaned over and took an E string out of his |
| very low one. Hit the individual strings, get used to the | | | | guitar case, threaded it into his guitar and tuned it |
| sound for each string. | | | | before the alto sax player finished his solo and then |
| Step 4. Besides the strings, we have frets. They are | | | | went on to play a killer solo himself. |