Standard tuning
Online guitar tuner
This is the flagship tuner: six open strings, equal temperament, A4 at 440 Hz unless you move it. Lock one string or let the meter follow whichever note you pluck.
How to get a stable reading
Mute the strings you are not tuning. Pluck once, near the midpoint, and watch the cents rather than chasing every flicker. Within five cents the meter calls it in tune. Flat means the pitch is low — tighten that peg a little. Sharp means ease it off. If the room is noisy, play the reference tone and match it by ear.
Why these six frequencies
E2 82.41, A2 110.00, D3 146.83, G3 196.00, B3 246.94 and E4 329.63 Hz are the usual concert targets so a guitar can sit with a piano or a track. They are equal-tempered compromises, not the pure intervals inside a single chord. If a recording sits a few cents sharp, change A4 instead of arguing with the track.
Questions
- Which string is the low E?
- String 6 is the thickest. On a right-handed guitar it is closest to your chin. String 1 is the thinnest, the high E.
- The note keeps jumping.
- Two strings ringing, a fan, or a strong harmonic will confuse a monophonic detector. Pluck one string and rest the side of your hand on the others.