Learning how to properly tune your guitar can be one of the most difficult tasks for a beginner. If you have no formal music training it may be difficult for you to hear when your strings are out of tune or to know whether they are too high or too low. However, strings that are even a bit out of tune can make your best efforts at playing sound mediocre. Try these three tips for learning how to tune your guitar. 

Start By Tuning Your Strings Down

One of the biggest problems beginning musicians have is knowing whether their string is too high or too low. Most people can hear that a string sounds out of tune when they compare it with another string but it takes time to train your ears to know whether you need to tune up or down. To avoid this problem, you can begin by lowering all of your strings on purpose. Then, you know you only have to tune up until you hit the correct pitch. 

Use A Tuner To Help You Learn

Tuners can be a great tool, but many beginners become dependent on them for tuning, which creates a problem when your tuner runs out of batteries or you forget it at home. To avoid this issue, use your tuner to train your ears. 

First, try tuning your guitar without a tuner. Then, check your tuning with your electronic tuner. If you are off, note which direction you need to tune in, turn your tuner off, and try tuning by ear again. Repeat this process until you have tuned your guitar correctly. Over time you should see your tuning improving, until you are able to confidently tune without checking with your electronic tuner. 

 Become Familiar With How A Few Chords Should Sound

For some people, the intervals between the open strings can be difficult to hear. To quickly assess whether your guitar is in tune, select one or two open chords that you can easily hear when they are in tune. G major is a good chord for this. Slowly strum through the chord to figure out which string is out of tune and begin tuning from there. 

Learning to tune is often a slow, frustrating process for those who have just begun guitar lessons with at teacher at a company like Pimentel & Sons Guitars. However, with a bit of dedication and the proper knowledge, you can confidently tune your instrument every time. Practicing every day will help speed the process along.