Guitar tuners & tuning?

Question

I'm just starting out trying to learn how to play guitar (teaching myself), and i dont really know very much at all, anyways i'm having real problems trying to tune in my guitar, and i have found a guitar tuner on ebay, and i was just wanting to know what an actual "guitar tuner" does.. does it just tune it in for you? or do you still need skill aswell to tune it in?
thanks for any answers!!

Answer 1

I wouldn't bother with e-bay. I've just bought quite a nice Marshall tuner at my local guitar shop for £15. Guitar tuners are fitted with a microphone for acoustics and have a 0.25" jack input for electrics. How you use them varies as some can automatically detect which string you are tuning whereas others have to have buttons pushed to tell them what string. Displays vary. Used to be there was a mix of LED and LCD displays but most now have an LCD representation of an old analogue type meter. So, plug your guitar in or get it near the microphone, select the string you are going to tune on the tuner (if you have to) and then twiddle the machine head until the LCD "needle" is in the middle or green LED in the middle is on. Always tune up to the note, if you tune down you'll find the string goes of tune after a few strums.

Answer 2

Well dude, you do need some kind of teacher or a really, really good video/book and a lot of natural talent. The teachers typically offer tuning as the first lesson.

A guitar tuner doesn't do it for you, but it shows you how in tune the pitch is, and you adjust the guitar tuners.

Without some knowledge of how the guitar is supposed to be tuned, and the knowledge of how note frequency works, it will be hard to use a tuner as a beginner.

Tuners often tell you flat or sharp of the standard tuning note for the string (at least a beginner's tuner does). This will not help you do anything but break strings. It's best to have someone show you how to tune the guitar with the tuner - even the directions aren't going to give you a good idea if you don't have a trained ear.

Answer 3

Most teach yourself books open with a lesson on tuning, you should check those out - I've found them very useful.
It doesn't actually require 'skill' to tune a guitar, just a working tuner and your brain. You set the tuner for whichever note you are trying to tune, then pluck the string. If, for example, the high E is a bit flat, the tuner will lightup (or however it shows the pitch) accordingly and you simply turn the tuning knob. Pluck again to see if it is in tune, and continue to fine tune until you have a tuned note.
Good luck with this, its hard to learn on your own

Answer 4

My son has just taken up the guitar and is teaching himself.

He bought a CD where the notes for each string are played so you can tune the guitar.

I gues the tuner is a simple tuning fork that gives you the first note. Once you have a certain string tuned to the correct pitch, the rest of the strings can be tuned by holding them down at a certain point and tuning to the note. (I know nothing about guitars).

Answer 5

I've got an electronic tuner (I'm lazy that way!) and you have to manually tune the guitar-it has an l.e.d display that guides you & lights up when you have tuned the particular string to the correct key,they're dead easy to use!!Wouldn't be without mine.You don't need any skill to use it/tune the guitar.

Answer 6

I am in the same boat as you, just started myself and recently bought a tuner.This is battery operated and cost me £10.00, its a great tool to have and is so easy to use. Switch it on, strum top string with tuner near to you, and the note that string is tuned to will show up on the tuner screen, adjust if needed, then move on to next string and so on. Take care with the [first string thinnest one] as it will soon break if you over tighten it, So there you are no Skill needed. Hope this helps ..

Answer 7

You pluck the string and the device shows whether it's in tune or not, you adjust it until it is in tune. My son got one when he started to teach himself guitar.