To tune a guitar to standard tuning, tune the six strings — from the thickest to the thinnest — to the notes E, A, D, G, B, E. The quickest way there is a clip-on tuner: clip it to the headstock, pluck one string at a time, and turn that string’s tuning peg until the display shows the right note sitting dead center.
I’ve been playing guitar for 35 years, and I still tune every single time I pick it up — before every gig, before every practice at home. Here’s the thing: an out-of-tune guitar makes a good player sound bad and makes a beginner want to quit. The good news is that once you know how, the whole thing takes about 30 seconds. Let me walk you through it the way I’d show a friend.
Standard Guitar Tuning: E–A–D–G–B–E
Standard tuning runs from the thickest, lowest-sounding string to the thinnest, highest-sounding string: E, A, D, G, B, E. When you’re holding the guitar, the thick low E (the 6th string) is the one closest to the ceiling, and the thin high E (the 1st string) is closest to the floor. An old trick for remembering the order top to bottom is Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.
| String | Note | Thickness | Also called |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | E | Thickest | Low E |
| 5th | A | A | |
| 4th | D | D | |
| 3rd | G | G | |
| 2nd | B | B | |
| 1st | E | Thinnest | High E |
That’s the tuning about 95% of songs you’ll ever learn are written in. Get comfortable here first — you can chase drop D and open tunings once standard feels like home.
How to Tune a Guitar With a Clip-On Tuner (the Easy Way)
A clip-on tuner is the fastest, most reliable way to tune, and it’s what I’d put in any beginner’s hands. It clips onto the headstock and reads the string’s vibration directly, so it works even in a loud room. Here’s the routine:
- Clip the tuner to the headstock and turn it on.
- Pluck the low E (6th) string and let it ring.
- Watch the display. If it reads a letter below E or the needle sits left, the string is flat (too low) — tighten the peg. If it’s sharp (too high) or the needle sits right, loosen it.
- Turn the peg slowly until the note reads E and the needle is dead center.
- Move to the A, D, G, B, and high E strings and do the same.
One habit that saves you: always tune up to the note, not down to it. If you overshoot, drop below the note and come back up. Tuning up puts tension into the string the right way and it holds far better — something you learn fast when you’re tuning between songs on stage.
I’ve had a Boss TU-3 on my pedalboard for years for electric, and a little Korg clip-on lives in my acoustic case. If you’re shopping, I broke down my real picks in this guide to the best guitar tuners. String makers like D’Addario publish handy tuning references too.
How to Tune a Guitar With an App or Online Tuner
No tuner on hand? Your phone works. A tuning app (or a browser tuner) uses the microphone to hear each string and tells you when you’re in tune — same flat/sharp idea as a clip-on, just listening through the mic. It’s a hair less accurate in a noisy room because the mic picks up everything, so tune somewhere quiet.
If you don’t want to download anything, you can use our free online guitar tuner right in the browser. Play a string, watch the meter, adjust the peg — done.
How to Tune a Guitar by Ear (the 5th-Fret Method)
Tuning by ear is the skill worth building. It’s slower at first, but it trains your ear and it’ll save you the day your battery dies. The idea: get one string in tune from a reference pitch, then tune every other string off the one below it.
- Get your low E in tune from a reference — a tuner, a piano, or another guitar.
- Press the low E at the 5th fret. That note is an A. Pluck it and your open A string together and match the A string to it.
- Press the A string at the 5th fret (a D) and tune the open D string to match.
- Press the D string at the 5th fret (a G) and tune the open G string to match.
- For the B string, press the G string at the 4th fret (this is the one exception) and match the open B.
- Back to the 5th fret: press the B string and tune the high E to it.
Two strings are “in tune” when the wobble between them slows down and disappears. Chase that steady, even sound.
| Method | Best for | Cost | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clip-on tuner | Everyone, loud rooms, gigs | $10–$30 | Excellent |
| App / online tuner | Beginners, quiet rooms, no gear | Free | Very good |
| By ear (5th fret) | Ear training, no tuner available | Free | Good, improves with practice |
Why Your Guitar Won’t Stay in Tune
If your guitar drifts out of tune constantly, it’s usually not the tuner — it’s one of a few fixable things. Here’s what I check, in order:
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| New strings keep going flat | Fresh strings stretch for the first few hours | Tune, then gently stretch each string, retune — repeat until it settles |
| Slips out after bends | String not seated at the nut or peg | Stretch it in; a dab of pencil graphite in the nut slot helps |
| Drifts overnight | Temperature and humidity swings | Normal — wood moves; just retune before you play |
| Never quite in tune | Old, worn strings lose their pitch stability | Change them — see my electric and acoustic string picks |
Real talk: the number one reason a beginner’s guitar “won’t stay in tune” is brand-new strings that haven’t been stretched in yet. Put a fresh set on, play hard for 20 minutes while retuning, and it’ll lock in. Once your strings are settled and you’ve got clean chords under your fingers, tuning becomes a 30-second ritual instead of a fight — and everything you play in your chord practice starts sounding the way it’s supposed to.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I tune my guitar?
Every time you play. Even a guitar that was perfect yesterday drifts overnight from temperature and humidity changes. Tuning takes 30 seconds and it’s the difference between practice that sounds good and practice that fights you.
What note is each guitar string?
From thickest to thinnest, the six strings are E, A, D, G, B, E. The thick low E is the 6th string; the thin high E is the 1st string. Remember it with “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie.”
Can I tune a guitar without a tuner?
Yes. Use the 5th-fret method: get one string in tune from any reference pitch, then tune each string off the one below it (with the B string being the one 4th-fret exception). It’s also the best way to train your ear.
Why does my new guitar keep going out of tune?
Almost always new strings stretching in. Fresh strings need a few hours of playing and retuning before they hold. Tune up, stretch each string gently by hand, retune, and repeat until it stops going flat.
Should I tune up or down to the note?
Always tune up to the note. If you go past it, drop below and come back up. Landing on the note from below sets the string tension correctly and it holds much better than tuning down.
That’s all there is to it. Don’t overthink it — grab a tuner, get those six strings to E–A–D–G–B–E, and start learning to play. A guitar in tune is a guitar that’s fun to pick up. Put the first foot forward.
