Yes, you can hit a few right notes using the guitar, but this does not earn you the title of a guitar player yet. A good guitar player should be able to distinguish a bad note from a good one. You may be able to distinguish the difference if you know how to tune a guitar. Tuning a guitar properly is a little more tedious compared to playing a song with your guitar. The reason for this is that you are already familiar with the melody of that particular song. Tuning a guitar is no different. To be able to do it right, you have to familiarize yourself with the note of each strings. Here are the standard notes of the guitar in open strings (unclamped string) starting from the thickest to the thinnest string: E--A--D--G--B--E.

These notes may sound gibberish for starters but this is actually your guide to get your guitar all tuned up.

Step 1: Others would start tuning in the thinnest string, but in your case, it is best to start in the thickest string because it is more likely in tune than the other strings. If you do not have any other device to get the most accurate E note for your thickest string, then tune it according to your liking.

Step 2: Press your finger on the fifth fret of the thickest string. This will change the note of the thickest string from E to A. Tune the next string according to this note.

Step 3: After getting the second thickest string to A note, press it on the fifth fret to change it to D note. Tune the next string according to that note.

Step 4: After tuning the next string to D note, press that string on the fifth fret again to change it from D to G note. Tune the next string to that note.

Step 5: If you finally get it to G note, press that newly tuned string on its fourth fret, making a B note. Tune the next lower string accordingly.

Step 6: After successfully tuning it to B, press that string again this time on the fifth fret again to make an E note. Tune the thinnest string according to that note.

You may not be able to get it right the first time but you can fine tune it further with the help of a song that is familiar to you.
Tags: guitar, tune, tuning, strings