How to tune a guitar
- Press Start tuner and allow the microphone.
- Start with the low E string (the thickest). Pluck it and let it ring.
- Look at the note and needle. Flat (left): tighten the tuning peg. Sharp (right): loosen it.
- Turn slowly. When the needle is centered and green, move to the next string.
- After tuning all six, check them again: changing one string's tension can slightly affect the others.
Tip: it is easier to tune up to a note. If a string is sharp, loosen it below the note and then bring it back up.
Popular tunings
| Tuning | Notes (low to high) |
|---|
| Guitar (standard E) | E2 · A2 · D3 · G3 · B3 · E4 |
| Guitar (drop D) | D2 · A2 · D3 · G3 · B3 · E4 |
| Guitar (half step down) | D#2 · G#2 · C#3 · F#3 · A#3 · D#4 |
| Bass (4-string) | E1 · A1 · D2 · G2 |
| Ukulele (GCEA) | G4 · C4 · E4 · A4 |
| Violin | G3 · D4 · A4 · E5 |
Keeping your guitar in tune
- New strings stretch for a few days. Tune often and gently stretch them by pulling each string away from the fretboard.
- Big changes in temperature and humidity make strings go out of tune. Let a guitar adjust to the room before tuning.
- If open strings are in tune but chords higher up the neck sound off, the guitar's intonation may need adjusting by a technician.
Practicing timing too? Use the online metronome. Need a steady pitch? Try the tone generator.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tune my guitar with this online tuner?
Press "Start tuner" and allow microphone access. Play one string at a time and let it ring. The tuner shows the note it hears and a needle: if the needle is left of center the string is flat (too low), so tighten it; if it is right of center it is sharp (too high), so loosen it. Stop when the needle is centered and turns green.
What are the notes of standard guitar tuning?
From the thickest (6th) string to the thinnest (1st): E2, A2, D3, G3, B3, E4. Many players remember it as "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie".
Can I tune bass, ukulele or violin?
Yes. Pick the instrument and tuning from the list. The tuner detects any note, so chromatic tuning works for other instruments too, and you can play a reference tone for each string to tune by ear.
Why does the tuner jump around?
Pluck the string firmly once and let it ring rather than strumming several strings. Background noise and a very quiet laptop microphone can also make the reading unsteady. Moving closer to the microphone or using headphones helps.
Is the tuner accurate?
It detects pitch to within a few cents in a quiet room, which is plenty for tuning by ear. "In tune" here means within ±5 cents. A cent is one hundredth of a semitone.
What is A440?
A440 means the note A above middle C is tuned to 440 Hz, the modern standard. Some musicians tune to A432 or another reference; you can change the reference pitch in the settings.