Standard tuning: E A D G B E
From the thickest string to the thinnest, the strings of a guitar in standard tuning are E2, A2, D3, G3, B3 and E4. A popular way to remember them: “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie”.
Tune with an online tuner
- Open the tuner, choose Guitar and allow microphone access.
- Pluck one string at a time and let it ring.
- If the needle is left of center (flat), tighten the string slowly; if it is right (sharp), loosen it.
- Stop when the needle is centered and the display turns green. Then check all strings again: tuning one string changes the tension on the others slightly.
Tune by ear (relative tuning)
- Get the low E in tune with a reference tone.
- Press the low E string at the 5th fret: it should match the open A string.
- Do the same at the 5th fret of A (gives D) and of D (gives G).
- On the G string use the 4th fret to match the open B string.
- Finally, the 5th fret of B matches the high E.
Tips for staying in tune
- Always tune up to the note: if you overshoot, go below and come back up. This keeps the string from slipping.
- New strings stretch and go flat for a few days; retune often.
- Temperature and humidity change the tuning, so tune every time you pick up the guitar.