What is tuning your guitar “by ear”?<\/p>\r\n
Tuning by ear means adjusting the strings according to what you hear.\u00a0 It’s an alternative to using a digital guitar tuner.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
Digital tuners are helpful, particularly in a noisy environment. Or when we have new strings. But they can run out of batteries or get lost.\u00a0 Knowing how to tune without one means we can be confident our guitar will always sound great.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
There are other benefits too.\u00a0 By listening carefully to how strings sound together, we develop a better musical ear. Tuning becomes faster and easier.\u00a0 And we deepen our connection to our instrument.<\/p>\r\n
This guide explores four ways to tune by ear:<\/p>\r\n
Many beginner guitarists think it’s an occasional chore to tune their guitar strings.\u00a0 Maybe once or twice a week will do it.<\/p>\r\n
But as our ear develops, we\u2019re more able to discern \u201cin\u201d tune from \u201cout\u201d.\u00a0 We might want to retune several times per practice.\u00a0 At the very least, we’ll want to tune at the beginning of every practice.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Luckily, there are many ways we can tune a classical guitar (or acoustic and electric guitars).\u00a0 It sets the stage for a great practice.\u00a0 In time, tuning your guitar strings will feel natural, and you’ll do it without thinking.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Any tuning method that gets you there is a good one. Each tool and tuning method has its strong and weak points. Each takes a little time to get used to.\u00a0 But if you can tune a guitar by ear, it won’t matter if you leave your tuning tools behind.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Knowing how to tune a guitar properly is important if we want to sound good.\u00a0 There is no special “classical guitar tuner” or method.\u00a0 \u00a0We use the same process as we would for an acoustic or electric guitar.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
We tune most classical guitars to standard guitar tuning. So we’ll use this for each of the methods below.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In standard guitar tuning, the strings are tuned to the notes: E A D G B E (low to high sounding).\u00a0 There are alternate tunings, but standard tuning<\/a> is most common on classical guitar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You may find it a bit easier to tune a classical guitar by ear than a steel-string guitar.\u00a0 The nylon strings have a strong, “fat” sound that lets us hear the tuning.\u00a0 (The downside is that other people can also hear when it’s out of tune!\u00a0 But this is true for any guitar.)<\/p>\r\n The most important thing to remember when tuning a classical guitar is that this is part of the ritual.\u00a0 It’s part of the game.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n As you sit down to practice, you can use tuning time to get into the best mental space<\/a>.\u00a0 You can relax your face.\u00a0 (We hear better with a relaxed jaw.)\u00a0 You can put your attention on feeling the nylon strings and hearing the guitar sounds.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n This focused awareness will lead to a better overall classical guitar practice<\/a>.:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you\u2019re a beginner, you’ll find it easiest to tune your guitar with an electronic tuner or app. There are many apps, both free and paid, available for iOS and Android. And there are also some free online guitar tuner websites<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAll part of the game<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
How to Tune Your Guitar with a Digital Tuner (or App)<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n