How to Tune a Guitar?

There are many different ways to approach guitar tuning. We'll touch on a couple of the more effective methods on how to tune a guitar. Not necessarily the most popular as some methods, though extensively used, are considered 'bad habits' rather than genuine, effective guitar tuning alternatives.


The guitar standard tuning is as follows:

STRING - 6th String (bottom, bass, low) NOTE - E
5th String - A
4th String - D
3rd String - G
2nd String - B
1st String (top, treble, high) - E


Tips For Any Guitar Tuning Method

First, lets cover a few things that every player should know when taking the proper approach to guitar tuning and how to learn to tune guitar.

Learn to attach the strings to the machine heads properly. Never try to tune down to a note. Stretch the strings and tune up to the note. Tuning heads have a certain amount of 'play' in them so make a couple of deep bends and then fine tune the string. Before tuning a suspect string, check it against both adjacent strings to determine which string is actually out of tune. The string you suspect may not even be the culprit. When tuning a guitar with a vibrato arm, tune the string, give the arm a good shake, stretch the string, give the arm another shake and fine tune.

Veterans of guitar playing will already know these things so if you're a beginner and just learning to play the guitar, you're already ahead of the game if you implement these practices into your routine. For a great tool visit http://www.guitarmusician.com/guitar-tuner.htm

Here's A Quick Method For Guitar Tuning

Tune the treble (high) E string to an A440 tuning fork by holding your finger on the 5th fret, then tune the open B string to the open treble E string – listening to the interval of a fourth. It's easy to hear the fourth in that register.

Play the A note fretted at the 2nd fret of the G string, and compare it to the open treble E string – you're listening for a perfect fifth interval.

Fret the 2nd fret E note on the D string and compare it to the treble E string open. Double check this by fretting the E note on the 14th fret of the D string.

Now tune the 7th fret harmonic on the A string (an E note) to the open treble E string.

Finally, tune the 5th fret harmonic on the bass E string to the open treble E string.

This is a simple guitar tuning method that works well.

credit:Fingers Foley

Christina Aguilera-Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits

Beyond marking Christina Aguilera's first decade in the business, the Nov. 11 Target exclusive "Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits" serves as a sneak preview for the artist's next RCA studio album.



Aguilera tells Billboard the as-yet-untitled set will arrive in summer 2009 and will be mostly produced by Linda Perry.

"With my last album, I had music that was very '20s, '30s and '40s, and was very detailed and part of a very specific genre and sound," she says. "But with this new album, I wanted to go in a completely opposite direction-a very futuristic, robotic sound and computer-sounding vocals. I'm experimenting with my voice in ways I've never done before, almost like a technical, computer-generated sound, which is different for me because I'm the type of vocalist that just belts. I'm always inspired by new things because I get bored."

"The album is very pop and very upbeat, and it's inspired by [Andy] Warhol and the late-'60s scene," says RCA senior VP of marketing Scott Seviour, who adds that Aguilera has been in the studio as often as she can, considering she became a mother in January. "Once you hear the new material you'll have a very clear idea what the direction of it is."

As for "Keep Getting Better," it includes new versions of "Genie in a Bottle" and "Beautiful," titled "Genie 2.0" and "You Are What You Are (Beautiful)," respectively, plus the new songs "Keeps Getting Better" and "Dynamite." Staples such as "Dirty," "Come On Over" and "Hurt" also appear.

Produced by Perry, the new and remixed tracks all feature "futuristic sounds with beats driven more toward dance music," Aguilera says. "This time around, I'm playing with this superhero element based on the fact that fans have grown up with me since I was 17 and have continually supported my changes throughout the years."

Aguilera is planning to tour next year.
credit:billboard