It’s pretty easy to rely on a chromatic tuner to tune your guitar but all guitarists should know how to tune their guitar by ear. You don’t need perfect pitch just the ability to hear the out of tune audible wobble when comparing two different note sources, we will get to that in a bit.
First some science…
The guitar is impossible to exactly tune due to the compromise needed to allow the guitar to play all the notes and in all the keys. This method is called tempered tuning, each note is slightly out of tune allowing good tuning but not perfect. So this being said a guitar’s frets are placed at set intervals to produce the best compromise in tuning while still sounding good.
The Wobble
Hearing two notes slightly out of tune will cause the notes to sound out of phase or wobble. By sounding two notes and tuning one the wobble will either get faster or slower. Getting slower means the tuning phase is getting closer. Continue to tune the one string until the wobble stops or both notes sound like one.
Floating Tremelo Issues
Floating tremelos can be problematic when tuning a guitar especially if the guitar is way out of tune. Tightening on string can cause another to go flat. It takes some time and sometimes smaller tuning intervals.
Tuning methods
Good – Harmonics
A harmonic is sounded by slightly touching the guitar string just above a fret. Only certain frets will sound a harmonic most commonly the 5th, 7th, and 12th. Harmonic tuning is not the best method of tuning due to variations in harmonic pitch, the 7th fret is a Pythagorean 5th and the 5th is a tempered so this method will tune the guitar slightly out.
Harmonic How-To
-Using a reference note or an identifiable note from a song tune the low E.
-Strike a harmonic on the E 5th fret and a harmonic on the A 7th fret, tune the A, mute the strings.
-Strike a harmonic on the A 5th fret and a harmonic on the D 7th fret, tune the D, mute the strings.
-Strike a harmonic on the D 5th fret and a harmonic on the G 7th fret, tune the G, mute the strings.
-Now the harmonic method has to stop for the next string and the sounding of a note is needed. Fret the B on the 5th fret on the G string, sound the open B, tune the B, mute the strings.
-Strike a harmonic on the B 5th fret and a harmonic on the E 7th fret, tune the E, mute the strings.
Play the guitar, listen for proper tuning, make any adjustments needed.
Better – One String to Another
Similar to the harmonic method, better, but not best. Usually starting at the low E and moving to the high E is typical but the draw back to this method is a little tuning mistake in the beginning makes a larger mistake at the end.
One String to Another How-To
-Using a reference note or an identifiable note from a song tune the low E.
-Sound an A on the 5th fret of the low E and sound the open A, tune the A, mute the strings.
-Sound a D on the 5th fret of the A and sound the open D, tune the D, mute the strings.
-Sound a G on the 5th fret of the D and sound the open G, tune the G, mute the strings.
-Sound a B on the 4th fret of the G and sound the open B, tune the B, mute the strings.
-Sound a E on the 5th fret of the B and sound the open E, tune the E, mute the strings.
Play the guitar, listen for proper tuning, make any adjustments needed.
Best – All to One
This method is sometimes more difficult for inexperienced players but will avoid the small mistake turned big.
All to One How-To
-Using a reference note or an identifiable note from a song tune the low E.
-Sound an A on the 5th fret of the low E and sound the open A, tune the A, mute the strings.
-Sound a D on the 10th fret of the low E and sound the open D, tune the D, mute the strings.
-Sound a G on the 3rd fret of the low E and sound the open G, tune the G, mute the strings.
-Sound a B on the 7th fret of the low E and sound the open B, tune the B, mute the strings.
-Sound a E on the 12th fret of the low E and sound the open high E, tune the high E, mute the strings.
It may take some practice listening and experimenting, try tuning the guitar by ear and double check with a tuner. Knowing these techniques are essential if you are ever going to play along with a song and especially if you are going to play with others.