How to tune your guitar by ear

The Complete Guide to Tuning Your Guitar by Ear

Tuning your guitar by ear is an essential skill for every guitarist. This guide covers standard tuning, harmonic tuning, and includes reference tones for all strings and their harmonics. For acutal guitar sounds for standard tuning you can check the video below.

Standard Guitar Tuning with Harmonics

Each string includes both open and harmonic reference tones:

6th string:

5th string:

4th string:

3rd string:

2nd string:

1st string:

Harmonic Tuning Method

🎶 Harmonic Tuning Method - Step by Step Guide

1. Start with a Reference Tone: Tune your Low E string to the standard pitch (E2). You can use any tuner, reference tone, or a tuning app to do this.
2. Find the 5th Fret Harmonic: Lightly touch the **5th fret** on your Low E string and pluck it to produce a harmonic (bell-like overtone).
3. Find the 7th Fret Harmonic: Lightly touch the **7th fret** on your A string and pluck it to produce the harmonic. The sound should match the harmonic on the Low E string.
4. Adjust the A String: Tune the **A string** up or down to match the **5th fret harmonic of Low E** with the **7th fret harmonic of A**. They should sound identical with no warbling sound.
5. Repeat for Other Strings: Follow the same procedure for the remaining strings:
• 5th fret harmonic of A with 7th fret harmonic of D
• 5th fret harmonic of D with 7th fret harmonic of G
• 5th fret harmonic of B with 7th fret harmonic of High E
6. Note on the G to B String: Unlike the other pairs, the G to B string uses standard tuning. Tune the B string separately to the standard pitch (B3) instead of using harmonics.
7. Final Check with the 12th Fret Harmonics: After tuning all strings with harmonics, play the **12th fret harmonic** on the Low E and High E strings. These should match their corresponding open string pitches perfectly (E2 and E4).
8. Confirm Tuning: Listen carefully for any "beating" sound or dissonance between harmonics. If you hear it, adjust the strings until both harmonics sound identical.

🎧 Tip: Use headphones or a quiet room for more accurate tuning.

5th Fret to 7th Fret Harmonic Tuning

The most accurate way to tune using harmonics:

6th (E) and 5th (A) strings:

5th (A) and 4th (D) strings:

4th (D) and 3rd (G) strings:

Why this works: The 5th fret harmonic on one string is the same note as the 7th fret harmonic on the next higher string. When perfectly in tune, these harmonics will produce no "beating" or pulsating sound.

Tuning the B String with Harmonics

For the B string, compare the 7th fret harmonic on the low E string to the open B string:

Final Check with Octave Harmonics

Verify your tuning by comparing these octave harmonics: