| Most of us rely on electronic tuners to get our | | | | If you are new to playing musical instruments or |
| guitars into tune. These are, of course, very | | | | have always relied on electronic tuners you may |
| reliable and accurate. Gone are the days of bands | | | | find that you can't recognise that a reference |
| spending ages playing notes at each other at the | | | | note is different to the string you are trying to |
| start of a gig, in order to get all the instruments in | | | | tune. In this case, you can try to use some High |
| tune. There is, however, an art to tuning by ear, | | | | School physics to solve the problem. This is done |
| which can also give the musician a greater | | | | using a scientific idea called beats. When 2 notes |
| appreciation of guitar notes and how they react | | | | are played together they react with each other. If |
| when they are played together. | | | | they are the same note then all you will hear is a |
| Tuning electric guitar is possible using just one | | | | very smooth sound. However, if they are |
| reference note. If the reference note is E you | | | | different the two notes will react badly together |
| should first tune the bass E string. Once this is in | | | | giving some surges in volume causing a duh duh |
| tune you fret the E string on the fifth fret which | | | | duh sound. These are the beats. The further |
| gives you an A note. You can then use this to | | | | away the notes are from each other the faster |
| tune the open A String. Once this is in tune you | | | | the beats sound. As you adjust the machine head, |
| can fret the A string on the fifth fret to get a D | | | | of the string you want to tune, the beats will get |
| note for the next string. Likewise the G string is | | | | further apart as the notes get closer to each |
| tuned by fretting the G note on the 5th fret of | | | | other. When the notes are very close to each |
| the D string. You should remember that the B | | | | other, the sound of the 2 notes interacting |
| string has to be tuned from the B note located | | | | together will tend to make them sound as if they |
| on the 4th fret of the G string. The high E string | | | | are surging and swelling. In fact it will start to |
| follows the usual pattern with the E note being on | | | | sound a little like a phase guitar pedal effect When |
| the fifth fret of the B string. | | | | they are actually in tune the beats will disappear |
| If you have no reference note you can still use | | | | entirely and you will just hear one very smooth |
| this technique to tune up your guitar. This is often | | | | note progression. The same sort of effect will be |
| called tuning the guitar to itself. The guitar will play | | | | heard if you do the same to an acoustic guitar. |
| fine but will probably not be in concert pitch. | | | | However, the loudness of an electric guitar makes |
| Concert pitch is important if you are going to play | | | | the tuning beats more obvious. |
| with others in a band as other instruments such | | | | Once you have mastered this method of tuning |
| as keyboards have their tuning pretty much set. | | | | using beats it is a good idea to do some relative |
| Tuning the guitar to itself is a useful technique | | | | pitch ear training. This involves doing some special |
| when you are on your own and have no | | | | note comparison exercises, on a regular basis, to |
| electronic tuners for example if you go on holiday | | | | improve your perception of relative pitch. This will |
| camping or back packing. | | | | also help you play guitar by ear. |