Learn To Play The Guitar - Lesson #1

Whether you are just a newbie who is learning the guitar, or a more advanced guitarist, your guitar simply must be in tune or you may as well throw it away and play the drums instead!

There are a couple of different ways to tune your guitar....they are:

Using an Electronic Guitar Tuner If you are an absolute beginner and are just learning the guitar, it may be a good idea to buy an electronic guitar tuner, the reason i say this is that this will be the easiest way to get your guitar in tune quickly...first time every time. These simple devices are very easy to use. All you need to do is turn on the tuner and play each string of the guitar, the tuner will then tell you to either tighten or slacken the string, until each string is at the correct pitch. See the video below to see how an electronic guitar tuner is used.

My Recommended Way...Tuning By Ear Even if you have an Electronic Guitar Tuner, i strongly beleive you should learn how to tune your guitar by ear. This simply means that you learn how to recognise what each string should sound like, and you will be able to tune your guitar anywhere, anytime...even if you have lost your electric tuner, or run out of batteries!

The first thing you will need to do is to tune your E string (the thickest string on the guitar) This has to be tuned to a set pitch...to hear this pitch view the video below. Simply adjust your "E" String (thickest string) so it sounds the same as this Mp3, using your tuning keys.

Here are the names of the strings on your guitar:

• E is the top string, and is the thickest string
• A is the second string and is the second thickest string
• D is the third string and is the third thickest string
• G is the fourth string and is the fourth thickest string
• B is the fifth string and is the fifth thickest string
• E is the sixth string and is the thinnest string

Now that we have the "E" string at the correct pitch, we can tune the other 5 strings, to do this...Follow these steps:

• On the 5th fret, press the “E” string down and make the “A” string sound the same (by playing the two strings (E then A) one after the other)
• On the 5th fret, press the “A” string down and make the “D” string sound the same (by playing the two strings (A then D) one after the other)
• On the 5th fret, press the “D” string down and make the “G” string sound the same (by playing the two strings (D then G) one after the other)
• On the 4th fret, press the “G” string down and make the “B” string sound the same (by playing the two strings (G then B) one after the other)
• On the 5th fret, press the “B” string down and make the “E” string sound the same (by playing the two strings (B then E) one after the other) To see a picture demonstration of this method and where the frets are, please see the picture (guitar tuning instruction) below.

Your guitar should now be in tune and you can get on with it and learn the guitar! I will be starting your free "Learn The Guitar" courses real soon, so keep a lookout, or subscribe to my page so you don't miss out.

PS: If you are still having trouble learning to tune the guitar and you don't have an electronic tuner, feel free to go to my blog and use the online guitar tuner on the right hand side of the page.

Written by Scotty Smith Music Connoisseur ©2008