Learn Electric Guitar · Part 2
Even a perfectly fretted chord sounds off if the guitar is out of tune — and practicing on an out-of-tune guitar can actually train your ear the wrong way. The good news: tuning takes about a minute. This guide covers standard tuning order, how to use a free online tuner, tuning without one, and drop D.
| String | Note | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6th (thickest) | E | Lowest pitch |
| 5th | A | |
| 4th | D | |
| 3rd | G | |
| 2nd | B | |
| 1st (thinnest) | E | Two octaves above the 6th string |
Memory trick: "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie." Just remember the 6th and 1st strings are both E and you won't get lost.
Open the online tuner and allow microphone access. The quieter the room, the more accurate it is. Keep the guitar close to the mic (laptop or phone).
🎵 Open the online tuner →Pluck the thickest low E string once. If the note shown is below pitch (flat), tighten the tuning peg; if above (sharp), loosen it.
Tune each string in order from low E to high E: E, A, D, G, B, E. The string is done once the needle sits dead center.
Tightening one string slightly shifts neck tension and can pull others out of tune. Check all six strings once more for a stable result. New strings stretch, so check them often.
Once one reference string (usually low E) is in tune, you can tune the rest using the 5th-fret method. Fretting the 6th string at the 5th fret should match the open 5th string, and so on: 5th string, 5th fret = open 4th, 4th string, 5th fret = open 3rd, 3rd string, 4th fret (only this one) = open 2nd, 2nd string, 5th fret = open 1st. Adjust until each matching pair sounds identical. If your reference string is off, everything else will be too — so tune that first string with a real tuner.