Tuning a guitar is one of the first proper skills every player needs, and it stays useful forever, since even the best tuner batteries die eventually. Here's how standard tuning works and a few reliable ways to get there.

Standard tuning, string by string

From the thickest string to the thinnest, standard tuning is E-A-D-G-B-E. That's the low E (6th string), A (5th), D (4th), G (3rd), B (2nd) and high E (1st string). Notice the low and high E strings share a name but sit two octaves apart.

Using an electronic tuner

This is the simplest and most accurate method for most players. Clip a tuner to your headstock or use a pedal or app-based tuner, pluck each string individually, and adjust the tuning peg until the display shows you're in tune. Turn slowly, since strings can move further than expected with a small turn of the peg, and always tune up to pitch rather than down, tightening slightly past the note and easing back, which tends to hold tuning better than approaching from above.

Tuning by ear: the fifth-fret method

If you don't have a tuner handy, you can tune the guitar to itself once one reference string is correct:

1. Play the 5th fret of the low E string. That note is A, and should match your open A string.
2. Play the 5th fret of the A string to get D, and match it to your open D string.
3. Play the 5th fret of the D string to get G, matching your open G string.
4. Play the 4th fret (not the 5th) of the G string to get B, matching your open B string.
5. Play the 5th fret of the B string to get E, matching your open high E string.

That one exception at the 4th fret catches a lot of beginners out, so it's worth remembering.

Tuning with harmonics

More experienced players often tune using natural harmonics, lightly touching the string directly above the 5th, 7th or 12th fret without pressing down, which produces a clear, ringing tone that's easier to compare accurately between strings than a fretted note. It takes a bit of practice to execute cleanly but is a genuinely useful skill once you've got it.

A few practical tips

• Tune up to a note rather than down to it, for better tuning stability.
• Stretch new strings gently and retune a few times, since fresh strings drop in pitch quickly until they've settled.
• Check your tuning again after playing for a while, particularly with a new set of strings or in a room where the temperature has changed.

Getting comfortable with it

Tuning by ear takes practice, but it trains your listening in a way that pays off well beyond just getting in tune. Most players end up using a mix of both: an electronic tuner for speed and accuracy, and their ear for quick checks and fine adjustments in between.