| It really makes no difference how good a guitar | | | | piano or an electronic tuner. Turn the peg of your |
| player you are, if your instrument is not tuned up | | | | low E string slowly until it sounds exactly the |
| correctly you will never produce a good sound. It | | | | same as this remembering the "tune up" rule as |
| is, therefore, important that your learn how to | | | | you go. |
| tune your guitar properly very early on in your | | | | Then move along to the fifth or A string and, |
| musical experience. | | | | holding down the fifth fret of the E string and |
| Those in the know will suggest you buy an | | | | pluck and the open A string. Listen out for a |
| electronic tuner and they are inexpensive and can | | | | pulsating or beating sound and adjust the A string |
| save you lots of effort. They are particularly | | | | until this disappears. Then hold down the fifth fret |
| helpful when you are trying to tune your guitar | | | | of the A string while you pluck it and the D string. |
| and have lots of other background noise going on. | | | | Continue with this method and do the same with |
| However, it is still useful to know how to tune | | | | the G, B and E strings. |
| your guitar by hand. | | | | You can use a pitch pipe to tune your guitar if |
| Ideally your guitar should be tuned each time you | | | | you wish and this takes very little effort. You |
| use it and experts say it is important to "tune up" | | | | simply need to blow through the relevant holes in |
| when tuning your guitar. This means increasing the | | | | the pitch pipe and adjust the strings of your |
| tension of the string to the point where it reaches | | | | guitar until they match up with the notes. You |
| the desired tone. If you tighten it up to far you | | | | should start with the sixth E string and do the top |
| can easily loosen the tension off and begin the | | | | E string before moving on to the others. |
| procedure again which is an easier method than | | | | What could be simpler than an electronic tuner? |
| trying to locate the correct tone from a string | | | | This has a display screen which tells you whether |
| which is already too tight. | | | | the notes are in tune or not. You strum one |
| First of all eliminate any distractions and | | | | string at a time, the tuner assesses the tone and |
| background noise and then start with the low E or | | | | lets you know whether it is correct or needs |
| sixth string. Obtain a starting point pitch from | | | | adjusting higher or lower to get it just right. |
| another already tuned guitar, a tuning fork, a | | | | |