The ability to tune guitar strings is an invaluable skill for the guitar student. Without this ability, the guitarist is prone to playing in the wrong key when practicing with other musical instruments or along a CD. Learning how to tune the guitar will also save expense and inconvenience for the student. To begin the guitar lesson, the teacher may clarify some basic terminology for the guitar students.
- Fretboad: The neck of the guitar
- Fret: Parallel note markers across the fretboard for fretting
- Guitar nut: Parallel piece of wood lying at the head of the fretboard
- Open string: playing a string without pressing it down at a fret
- Fretting hand: The hand that holds the strings down on the fretboard for playing notes and chords
- Guitar peg or tuning key: The screws at the head of each string for tuning
Acoustic Guitar Strings for Beginners
Tuning acoustic guitar strings is not difficult, so long as the guitar student is able to obtain any of the notes that are portrayed on a guitar and tune the others by using the selected note as an anchor note. Professional guitar tuners use a tuning fork.
The music teacher may use a well-tuned piano or synthesizer. If one is not at hand, an alternative music resource such as a reliable website might help. Old strings cannot be tuned very well, so it is advisable to buy new ones.
Guitar Tuning Tips
The simplest way to demonstrate how to tune a guitar is to work from the lowest or bass string. The teacher should explain that the bass string is the thickest guitar string on the guitar. Each string can be tuned to a lower or higher pitch by turning the tuning pegs at the head of the fretboard. This can be demonstrated by the teacher before the students find out for themselves.
The teacher may check that each student understands how to alter the pitch of the guitar strings before proceeding to the next part of the demonstration.
How to Tune Guitar Strings
At this point, the students may be informed that the strings on the guitar should be tuned to the following notes, from and including the bass string: Low E, A, D, G, B and high E, two octaves above the low E.
Tuning the first note correctly is crucial, for the other strings will be tuned by this reference note. The students may require extra time to tune by ear the low E on the bass string against the note emitted by a music resource.
Once the bass string has been accurately tuned to E pitch, the other guitar strings can be tuned by example. Each student should place a finger onto the bass string on the location of the fifth fret from the guitar nut on the fretboard. This will produce the note A. The next string can be tuned to this pitch by ear. By turning the peg at the head of the fretboard, the pitch of the next string can be adjusted to match this note. Again, time should be allowed for this exercise.
The students may proceed, by pressing the fifth fret of the A string, where the note D can be obtained. The next string can be adjusted to match this note via the tuning peg.
To obtain the G string, students may press the fifth fret of the D string and adjust the note via the tuning peg to obtain the matching pitch.
Obtaining the B pitch is a little different. By pressing the fourth fret of the G string, the B note can be obtained and the B string can be adjusted via the tuning peg.
Lastly, the E two octaves above the low E, can be obtained by either, playing the low E and adjusting the highest string two octaves higher, or by pressing the fourth fret on the B string and tuning this last string to match its pitch.
The teacher may explain that fine tuning can be achieved by playing two notes together and listening out for any discordant or reverberating sounds. Going through the process again as described might be necessary if any notes are slightly off key.
Acoustic Guitar Maintenance Tips for Students
When not in use, students should be advised to keep the guitar away from rapid changes in temperature and humidity for this will put unnecessary pressure upon the strings, and could cause them to become brittle.
Guitar Care for the Beginner
Keeping the guitar in tune is essential for the guitar student who wishes to give a consistent performance, and also saves time and expense. The procedure can be taught quite simply, so long as one of the notes on the guitar can accurately be obtained from a reliable source such as a well-tuned piano. Time should be allowed for tuning the bass E note accurately. By pressing the fifth fret on all the strings but the B string, music students will be able to produce the other notes on the guitar. The teacher may advise students to keep the guitar away from humidity and rapid temperature changes in order to preserve the guitar strings.
Rachel Shirley - I have written and illustrated several art instruction books entitled Oil Paintings from your Garden and Oil Paintings from the Landscape ...
