Something as simple as how you wind the strings onto the tuning machine posts when changing your strings, will
determine tuning stability and even string tension. It’s also a good idea to stretch your strings just a little as you
tune to make sure that each string is seated well and snugged down on the tuning machine post. This will save
you some tuning frustration down the road. Just grab the string in the middle, lightly tug it up and down to remove
slack, and then retune.
There are a couple of different methods for tuning a guitar, depending on whether your guitar is acoustic, or an
acoustic with a pickup and onboard tuner. If your guitar does not have an onboard tuner and you don’t own an
electronic chromatic tuner with a reference tone, you may want to purchase one. It will dramatically simplify tun-
ing your acoustic or electric guitar.
Always tune from below pitch, up to the correct pitch instead of down from a higher pitch. This will help eliminate
string slack from the tuning machine and decrease the possibility of slippage and tuning changes as you play.
If using the onboard tuner on your guitar, simply plug in, activate the tuner, turn the volume up and starting from
the thickest (bottom) string to the thinnest (top), tune the strings to: E, A, D, G, B, E.
Tuning 6-string Guitars
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Set-up