how can i tune my guitar without buying an electric tuner?

Question

i can afford a tuner, but i am like sortof teaching myself and i play violin so i dont want to spend more money when im just trying to teach myself

Answer 1

Online! http://www.gieson.com/Library/projects/utilities/tuner/

Answer 2

It's probably tough for a beginner. A seasoned musician can listen to a song a tune their guitar. I use Blind Melon's first album, beause it's in standard tuning. However, if you're just starting you can buy a pitch pipe, similar to a harmonica that will give you the proper note to tune to. But, if you are just learning, it will probably be pretty tricky.

Why are you opposed to the electric tuner? They are cheap ($20), work fast and easy (like me, ha ha), and once you get in a band, you'll want one. Like I said, I can tune off of an album (I also use Incubus's Drive, from the Make Yourself album because it's in E) and when I'm with my band, I use my electric tuner. No one wants to listen to me tune up, and with my electric, I can tune up before I plug in to my amp.

Get an electric, they are the best way to go.

Answer 3

If you're smart, you'd know that you SHOULD buy a tuner when you purchase a guitar orelse just return the guitar cause theres no point.

But if you dont have the funds, then you can always hold the top G string on the 5th fret and hit the top E and go down like that.

Answer 4

I just started learning to play guitar and was taught "relative tuning". You'll use this method when you are tuning to another guitar or another instrument that you will play along with. (See the link for relative tuning).

From the link:

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"1. Play the fifth fret of the 6th (low E) string (the fattest one, closest to the ceiling) and then play the open 5th (A) string (the one next to it).

Let both notes ring together. Their pitches should match exactly. If they don't seem quite right, determine whether the 5th string is higher or lower than the fretted 6th string. If the 5th string seems lower, or flat, turn its tuning key with your left hand to raise the pitch. If the 5th string seems sharp, or higher sounding, use its tuning key to lower the pitch. You may go too far with the tuning key if you're not careful; if so, you need to reverse your motions. In fact, if you can't tell whether the 5th string is higher or lower, tune it flat intentionally (that is, tune it too low) and then come back to the desired pitch.

2. Play the fifth fret of the 5th (A) string and then play the open 4th (D) string.

Let both of these notes ring together. If the 4th string seems flat or sharp relative to the fretted 5th string, use the tuning key of the 4th string to adjust its pitch accordingly. Again, if you're not sure whether the 4th string is higher or lower, "overtune" it in one direction — flat, or lower, is best — and then come back.

3. Play the fifth fret of the 4th (D) string and then play the open 3rd (G) string.

Let both notes ring together again. If the 3rd string seems flat or sharp relative to the fretted 4th string, use the tuning key of the 3rd string to adjust the pitch accordingly.

4. Play the fourth (not the fifth!) fret of the 3rd (G) string and then play the open 2nd (B) string.

Let both strings ring together. If the 2nd string seems flat or sharp, use its tuning key to adjust the pitch accordingly.

5. Play the fifth (yes, back to the fifth for this one) fret of the 2nd (B) string and then play the open 1st (high E) string.

Let both notes ring together. If the 1st string seems flat or sharp, use its tuning key to adjust the pitch accordingly. If you're satisfied that both strings produce the same pitch, you've now tuned the upper (that is, "upper" as in higher-pitched) five strings of the guitar relative to the fixed (untuned) 6th string. Your guitar's now in tune with itself.

You may want to go back and repeat the process, because some strings may have slipped out of tune.


When you tune in the normal way, you use your left hand to turn the tuning peg. But after you remove your finger from the string that you're fretting, it stops ringing; therefore, you can no longer hear the string you're trying to tune to (the fretted string) as you adjust the open string. However, there's a way to tune the open string while keeping your left-hand finger on the fretted string. Simply use your right hand! After you strike the two strings in succession (the fretted string and the open string), take your right hand and reach over your left hand (which remains stationary as you fret the string) and turn the tuning peg of the appropriate string until both strings sound exactly the same."
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Then, get yourself an electric tuner for when you play alone. :)

Answer 5

Here's how you tune from a perfectly tuned Low E note.
Hold down the 5th fret of the Low E string and pluck it and the A string
Listen for a beating or pulsating. The faster the beating the more out of tune it is.
Adjust the A string until there is virtually no beating.
Hold the 5th fret of the A string and pluck it and the D string.
Repeat again holding the 5th fret of the D string to tune the G string.
Repeat again holding the 4th fret of the G string to tune the B string.
Repeat again holding the 5th fret of the B string to tune the E string.

Answer 6

Many recording are not in tune, so I would suggest buying an inexpensive tuning fork, (personally, I'd get an A). Then learn the proper way to tune your guitar. Make sure the intonation is set properly. You may also want to check out the Buss Feitin (spelling?) tuning system. he has an interesting perspective on guitar tuning.

Answer 7

Go online and search online electric tuner

Orr.
you can tune all your strings to the same note...
Like this.
6th string, 5th fret-> Tune 5th string
5th string, 5th fret->Tune 4th string
4th string , 5th fret->tune 3rd string
3rd string, 4th fret, tune 2nd
2nd string, 5th fret, tune 1st

Tune the strings to the string your holding
or Second column to first
Its not gonna tune it to a certain note
but it will tune them all the same..

Try it, its easy

Answer 8

Play along with a song that you know is in standard tuning and tune to that song by ear.

Answer 9

tune to a song you know the chords 2

Answer 10

take it to a music store, or go to wal mart and get a $10-or less tuner