Electric Guitar Lesson 02 - Tuning and Basics

Tuning Your Guitar

What is tuning?

The most essential part of playing the guitar is keeping it in tune. With an out-of-tune guitar, even the best players can sound like the worst players. Each of the strings on a guitar, when played open, should produce certain tones. These tones will make up your tuning. When a guitar is in standard tuning, the strings should make the notes E, A, D, G, B, E. The strings are numbered from smallest to biggest 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.  The biggest string is E and the smallest is E as well, sometime the 1st string is signified as a lowercase E, or ‘e.’

It is important to know that an E isn’t just an E. Notes and tones can be finely adjusted to certain pitches. For example, the tuning pegs don’t just click into place, ‘click’ E. Instead, they slowly increase or decrease the tension of the string resulting in a smooth transition from low to high pitches. So an E can be flat or sharp and still be an E. This is why we need to tune our guitars with a tuner. Tuners tell us determine what note the guitar is producing and if that note is sharp or flat.

If you are new to playing guitar, buying a tuner is a MUST! If you start out without a tuner, you may be hurting yourself more than you can hurt your wallet when you buy one. They are only about 15 bucks, so invest in one! Read the accompanying instructions so you know how your particular tuner works, and make sure you are using it correctly as well. There may be different modes and features depending on what kind of tuner you get. Just make sure you get one.

 

Making those first… noises…

To produce sounds with your guitar, make sure the volume on the guitar is up, maybe 75% or more. Also make sure your amp is on and the volume is slightly up. Start low, 15-25% should be good. Just pluck the string if you have a pick or with your fingers if not. If anything hits the strings that makes them vibrate, the amp will make sounds accordingly. To use the frets, push the string down onto a fret. Don’t put your finger right on top of the metal fret. Instead place your fingers in between them so that the string is firmly on the fret. This shortens the string, making a higher pitch. Fret first, then pluck the string.

 

Plucking

If you’re using a pick, hold it between your thumb and one side of your index finger. This is much like holding a pencil with your index finger. If you are using your fingers, there are many ways to pluck the strings. You can brush them with your thumb, flick with your fingers, or use your fingernails as a pick.

Be sure to look over the video for great examples.

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