Tuning an electric guitar with a tuner. How to tune an electric guitar to standard and low tuning

Here you can tune an electric guitar through a microphone using online tuner .
And also tune an electric guitar by ear using the recorded sounds of electric guitar strings.

How to tune an electric guitar?

An electric guitar is tuned in the same way as a six-string guitar.

Instructions for tuning a guitar with an online tuner:

1.Connect a microphone

2. Click the Allow button on the tuner.

3. Play one note and look at the tuner.
The tuner will display the name of the note played and the accuracy of its tuning.
If the green pointer on the scale deviates to the right of the letter, then the string is overstretched; if it deviates to the left of the letter, then it is understretched.
You need to change the tension of the string by releasing or tightening it with pegs.

If the sound of the guitar string matches the standard, the letter will turn green.
And this means that this note sounds correctly, and it will be possible to tune other strings.

Electric guitar tuning

1.Standard electric guitar tuning - EBGDAE

  • 1st string - E (E) of the first octave
  • 2nd string - B (B) small octave
  • 3rd string - G (G) small octave
  • 4th string - D (D) small octave
  • 5th string - A (A) large octave
  • 6th string - E (E) large octave

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In our previous articles we talked about it, and today we’ll talk about how to set it up.

In general, tuning an electric guitar is a very important activity, because your detuned Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul won’t be able to give a solo in the style of Joe Pass, and listeners simply won’t understand you, so we’ll learn how to tune the guitar.

How to tune an electric guitar using a tuner

With the advent of Android devices and all sorts of Apple phones, it became possible to tune a guitar in general very simply, you don’t even need to buy a tuner (), you just download the application to your phone and start using it, you only need to know the tuning of the guitar, and it’s very simple. You simply pluck the first string (the E note on the tuner will be E), and the tuner tells you how much more you need to raise or release the guitar peg; you do the same with all the other strings. It is worth adding that the second string is the note Si (B), the third is Sol (G), the quadruple is D (D), the Fifth is La (A), the Sixth is again Mi (E), but only an octave lower. By following these rules, you can already tune your guitar.

How to tune a guitar through the fifth fret

You only need to use a tuner when you are playing a concert, and in front of it the whole group is tuning their instruments; at home, what happens is that you have tuned your Fender Stratocaster or Ibanez K7 using a tuner, and then just check the tuning at the 5th fret. How to tune a guitar through the fifth fret? There is nothing complicated here either. Let's assume that the first string (E) is already tuned, so as not to take out the tuner and connect it to the guitar, you take the fifth fret on the second string and compare the sound with the open first string, from this you will decide whether you need to tighten the tuning or not. There is only one exception here - the sound of the open second string is identical to the fourth fret of the third string.

How to tune an electric guitar using harmonics

The harmonic is a playing technique when you produce a sound without fully pressing the string, or more precisely, you touch it with the finger of your left hand, and with the edge of your finger, the result is a rather unusual sound. So, harmonics on the 12th fret
identical to open strings, why this method is good, but because on the 12th fret the sound can wander, that is, you tuned the guitar, but your metal solo somehow doesn’t sound, due to the fact that the guitar is out of tune if on the first frets It’s not very audible, but at about 20 it’s very noticeable. And in a nutshell, then you need to tune the guitar using harmonics and using a tuner, we check it using the fifth fret

How to tune an electric guitar by ear

First you need to have ears, without this nothing will come of it, if you have ears, then we move on. The technique is elementary: we take any chord, for example, G major (G) and listen to those notes that are included in the triad; if we hear something foreign, we adjust the tuning until we are satisfied with everything.

Tuning an electric guitar using a tuning fork

A tuning fork is a thing that, when struck (maybe on the head of a drummer who forgets to play fills), produces a sound identical to the open first string. The technician simply hit a tuning fork on the table, a sound appeared, tightened the first string, and then built up the entire tuning along the fifth fret. We sit contentedly and learn to continue playing.

In addition to daily guitar tuning, there are additional settings elements of the tool that should also not be neglected. These settings do not require a daily approach. It is advisable to do them when changing strings, or if you have not played an instrument for a long time, as well as with a newly purchased guitar (read here: how to choose the right guitar). These tips will concern mainly electric guitars, in particular floyd rose tuning will be considered, but some points will also affect acoustics.

1. The height of the strings is a very important point for comfortable playing the guitar. The lower the strings are to the fingerboard, the naturally easier it is for the left hand - the fingers press the strings easier. However, you shouldn't overdo it here. If you hear strings ringing on the frets, you should stop! Of course, there is no strict recommendation. I usually drop the strings as low as possible until there is a slight ringing sound on the frets, when playing from 10 to 22 frets. Moreover, playing softly on the strings should not cause ringing.

Floyd rose guitar string tuning

For acoustic guitars String height adjustment is usually adjusted by a screw where the body and neck of the guitar meet. Here you may need a key of a certain shape. In my practice I have come across square and triangular shaped keys. So when buying a tool, ask for a key for tuning! For classical guitar This adjustment is most likely not required - the body and neck are usually glued to each other, and the height of the strings is already adjusted.

For an electric guitar, things look a little different. There are many types of guitars and different tailpieces - bridge (machine). I will look at the adjustment using the example of my own guitar, which has a Floyd Rose bridge (this is the floyd rose tuning). So, our strings are held by this machine, which can be raised up or down to change the height of the strings, and also moved back and forth to “intonate” the guitar.

2. Pickup height. If you are the proud owner of an electric guitar, then this setting can affect the quality of its sound. You can adjust the height of the pickups using the screws on the sides of the pickups.

Pickups - height adjustment

Again, there are no strict requirements for this regulation. I do the following: I clamp all the strings on the last fret and evaluate the clearance between the strings and the pickups - the bass strings should be a little further than thin strings. By adjusting the height of the pickups using screws, I select the best sound for myself by ear. Here, too, you should not overdo it - it is not advisable for the strings to touch the pickup cores during intensive playing! Try it, experiment.

3. Adjusting the deflection of the neck - this setting is relevant for an electric guitar. Any electric guitar neck is equipped with a truss rod - inside the body of the neck! The tension of the strings bends the neck, giving it the shape of a bow. So here it is anchor rod This is prevented by arching the bar in the opposite direction! The adjustment screw can be located either at one end of the bar or at the other. On my guitar the adjustment is located on the headstock - look hard on your neck and you will find it. This is where hex keys come in handy - I specifically bought a set of different sizes.

Leo Fender's recommendations:
The neck of an electric guitar should be slightly curved. Tune your guitar. Press the 6th string down on the first fret and on the last fret. The distance between the 8th fret and the bottom of the string should be about the thickness of the first string. When adjusting, you need to monitor the guitar's tuning.

Joe Satriani's recommendations:
First, the anchor is loosened to create a small hole under the string. It is then tightened until the 4th, 5th and 6th strings start to ring the frets when played from the 1st to 7th frets. In this case, soft sound production should not cause ringing. During adjustment, we monitor the tuning of the guitar.

4. Scale adjustment - we briefly looked at this adjustment in the post - how to choose the right guitar. Therefore, as a rule, the scale must be rebuilt in the store! However, changing the height of the strings and manipulating the truss rod can make some changes.

What is a scale? Scale - the length of the working part of the string from the nut to the bridge. Why do you need to adjust the string length? To maintain guitar tuning anywhere on the neck, you need to adjust the scale. It is advisable to make adjustments when installing new strings, and having previously adjusted the height of the strings and the adjustment of the truss rod. Let's look at how this can be adjusted on an electric guitar equipped with a Floyd Rose tailpiece (floyd rose setting). Screws (hexagonal) that are responsible for adjusting the length of the string.

Moreover, in order to change the length, you must first loosen the string. So you have to do a lot of manipulations before getting it in tune - quite a tedious task! So, we connect the guitar to a digital or software tuner and fine-tune all the strings. Then we check the sound of each string individually at the 12th fret. In this case, the string at the 12th fret should strictly produce the same note as the open string!

If the pressed string sounds higher than expected, lengthen the scale length - using screws we increase the length of the string (loosening the string as it increases). If the pressed string sounds lower than expected, shorten the scale - loosen the string, use screws to reduce the length of the string, tighten the string - check. For more precise tuning of strings 1, 2, 3, you can control the scale at the following frets: 1st and 13th, 2nd and 14th, 3rd and 15th and so on.

It happens that it is not possible to perfectly adjust the scale. This may be due to poor-quality manufacturing of the neck - the curve is shorter. In this case, in one place of the neck the notes are tuned according to the tuner, but in another there is a deviation from the tuner readings. In this case, you will have to make a compromise. Select the area on the fretboard that you find most attractive, where you play the most, and adjust the scale using the tuner by pressing the string in the middle of the selected area. Moreover, monitoring the tuner so that the open string exactly sounds at its frequency, and the pressed string at its own.

In general, in a nutshell, something like this. It is clear that it is advisable to check the scale adjustment when purchasing a guitar! Because if it doesn’t adjust, it means that the neck is designed crookedly and in some places on this neck the instrument will not build! And buying such a miracle is contraindicated!

Well, I’m done with setting up the instrument! I said a lot of things. To some, this will all seem complicated and uninteresting. But if you are really passionate about playing the guitar, all these manipulations will be a pleasure for you. When I first held an electric guitar in my hands, I wanted to take it apart into pieces so I could know everything about it! If a person is obsessed with something, there are no obstacles for him. So tune up your instrument and play your favorite songs on the guitar!

Tuning an electric guitar is carried out in several stages. First you need to adjust the truss rod, which is located inside the neck. The bracket prevents deformation from the load coming from the tension of the strings. Originally in new guitars and does not need to be touched. Tuning is needed when the guitar has already been played. To do this, hold down the sixth string and look at the gap between the string and the seventh fret. It should be no more than 0.4 mm. If everything is normal, then the anchor should not be touched.

If the gap is larger than normal, adjustment will be needed. To do this, you need to loosen the strings so as not to break them. Unscrew the bolts on the curtain that covers the coupling. Install the hexagon all the way. Tightening occurs clockwise, and relaxation occurs counterclockwise. The key must be turned slowly and no more than half a turn per day. Otherwise, the neck may be damaged. After this, you should tune the strings and put the guitar to rest for a day. It happens that tuning an electric guitar at one time does not produce results and you need to repeat the procedure, this requires patience. If the adjustment does not produce results, then the cause may be a defective truss rod, uneven bending of the fingerboard, askew wood, or uneven torsion of the braid of the string.


Tuning an electric guitar requires a certain string height. The optimal clearance is shown below:
- 1 string: 1.5 mm;
- 2nd string: 1.6 mm;
- 3rd string: 1.7 mm;
- 4th string: 1.8 mm;
- 5th string: 1.9 mm;
- 6th string: 2.0 mm.

Before adjusting the height, you need to loosen the threads.

Tuning an electric guitar includes adjusting the working length of the string - the scale. If it is not adjusted, the guitar will be out of tune. If correct, the error will be most uniform across the entire fingerboard. It is better to adjust the scale using a tuner or harmonics, which above the twentieth fret should sound like a pinched string at the twelfth fret. If the sound of the thread is higher, then you need to increase the scale, and if it is lower, then reduce it.

Changing strings is a simple step, but there are some tricks. Usually new electric guitars have cheap cords. It is best to replace them immediately. First you need to install the central spring, and after replacing and before tensioning, the remaining springs. Then you should unscrew the screws and remove the clamps. Install the thickest sixth string first, then the first, then all the others.

An important rule is not to remove all the strings at once. First, remove the first one, measure the new one according to it, bend it a little in the place of the required length, insert it and tighten it. Do the same manipulations with all the other strings. This sequence is important so that the anchor does not move. The new strings will take a couple of days to stretch, so the guitar will need to be tuned. If a string breaks, with the exception of the first one, you need to change the entire set, since the sound of strings from different sets will be terrible.

The final adjustment to an electric guitar is adjusting the height of the pickups. To get an excellent signal, the sensors must be as close to the strings as possible. In this case, it is necessary that the strings do not touch the sensor magnets.

The choice of electric guitar depends only on your tastes and desires, choose musical instrument individually.

Tuning an electric guitar is a complex process that is very difficult for beginners to master. The fact is that an electric guitar is a complex instrument, the tuning of which is not limited only to tuning the strings; in comparison with a regular guitar, the process of tuning an electric guitar is more complex and requires more attention. Also, if you just purchased a new guitar, then you need to fully tune it, otherwise the instrument will not sound, it will sound bad on high frets.

Well, if you're ready, then let's get started. First of all, we will clean the electric guitar from excess dirt; the fact is that over time, dirt forms on the frets, which, as you understand, does not contribute to the purity of the sound of your instrument.

Preparation

So, we take the guitar and carefully remove the strings (as mentioned above - to remove dirt), first remove the first, then the sixth, then the fifth and the second. This sequence is necessary to prevent the bar from being pulled to the side..

After the strings are removed, check whether the pegs are screwed to the electric guitar well; it often happens that they are loose, thereby your guitar is constantly out of tune and sounds bad. Tighten the bolts on the pegs so that the pegs are stable and do not wobble.

Now we take a dry one (under no circumstances take a wet rag, moisture is strictly contraindicated for an electric guitar) and carefully wipe the frets on the fretboard, removing all dried dirt, if any. Your guitar has most likely been hanging in a store and dirt may have accumulated while it was there, so cleaning is necessary even for a new instrument.

Before installing strings (preferably new ones), carefully treat all the bolts on the bridge with graphite lubricant or, if you don’t have one, you can use machine oil. This is done so that the bolts do not rust and in the future it will be convenient for you to adjust the scale. After all the above operations, install the strings. Place the strings in the same way as you removed them: first the sixth string, then the first, fifth, second, fourth and third. You need to put it in exactly this order so that, as already mentioned, you do not bend the bar to one side.

Strings

After the guitar is cleaned and the strings are set, the first thing you need to do is tune the strings (it is advisable to start with the standard ones, i.e. E,A,D,G,B,E,). At the end of the article, we will also talk about low pitch guitars, so don't worry, but use the standard one for tuning.

You can tune the guitar using a tuner (it is advisable to use this method for the first time, in order for the tuning to be as accurate as possible), using the program on personal computer– , and you can also tune the guitar by ear – .



An anchor is a metal rod that is located inside the neck of an electric guitar and prevents its deformation. At one end of the anchor there is a nut for adjustment. Before you start adjusting the truss rod, you need to check the bend of the neck:

  • press the fast string on the first fret and the same string, but only on the seventeenth fret;
  • look at the gap (distance from the string to frets), it should be no more than 0.3 mm;
  • if the gap is large, then tighten the anchor nut; if there is no gap, then loosen the nut accordingly.

If you do not understand the principle of operation of the anchor, then it is better not to touch it; adjusting the scale and strings will be enough.

Mensura



Let's move on to setting the scale. The scale is the length from the bridge to the nut of your instrument. Its tuning is necessary so that the electric guitar, on the upper frets, sounds in accordance with your tuning, and not “all differently.” If you have encountered the fact that the guitar on the upper frets does not sound or quickly goes out of tune, then know that it is not tuned, namely, the scale.

Steps to set up, standard tuning (to adjust the scale length you will definitely need a tuner):

  • we play the first open one, the tuner should show the note E (E), we play the same string on the twelfth fret, the tuner should also show the note E (E);
  • if the tuner shows a sound higher than required, then slightly tighten the bolt on the bridge; if the tuner shows a sound lower than required, then, accordingly, slightly loosen the bolt;
  • again we tune the first, open, string and then repeat the entire operation described above until the string and scale are tuned;
  • This way we adjust the scale on all strings.

Build


Most modern bands playing heavy music use lower tuning. Drop tuning allows you to play lower chords on your electric guitar. This allows you to make the guitar sound more “heavy”, which is typical for metal bands..

The following are mainly popular:

  • Low tuning D-Sharp Standard (D#) (adjustable - D# A# F# C# G# D#);
  • Low tuning Re-Standard (D) (adjustable - D A F C G D);
  • Low tuning C-Sharp Standard (C#) (adjustable - C# G# E B F# C#);
  • Low tuning C-standard (C) (adjustable - C G D# A# F C);

Drop tunings



Also very often used are so-called DROP tunings. When playing this tuning, the guitarist plays the fifth (rock chord) with one finger, which makes playing complex parts much easier.

  • Drop tuning D-Sharp (D#) (tuned - C# G# C# F# A# D#);
  • Drop tuning D (D) (adjustable - C G C F A D);
  • Drop tuning C-Sharp (C#) (tuned - B# F# B E G# C#);
  • Drop tuning C (C) (adjustable - A# F A# D# G C);

In order to tune your electric guitar to the required tuning, simply lower the tone of your strings to the required note; for these purposes, it is best to use a tuner.

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