Page 19 - Guitar Tuition for Students and Tutors level 1

Page 13

Tuning
This video shows you how important it is, that your guitar should be in tune every
time you play. It shows you how to tune the guitar
to standard tuning: E A D G B E open string notes.

Short Link: shorturl.at/kxUY9

Most popular guitars have 6 strings, some have 12; both, have medium thin strings. Bass guitars usually
have 4 or 5 strings and are much thicker.
No doubt, the guitar you have chosen for lessons and to learn, has 6 strings.
The strings maybe made up of different materials from either a plasticky material, or made of metal
with nylon string wound inside the core;
or you may have a guitar with a set of metal strings.
In both types of layout, the strings are set apart in a certain order
(from the bridge to the headstock) and noticeably gradually get thinner.
The thickest (6 ) at the top, the thinnest (1 ) at the bottom.
th
st
A few quick questions:
Why do you think it’s important to tune your guitar before you start playing??
What kind of things can affect the tuning?

Ok, Let’s get started:

When we tune the guitar, we tune the ‘open’ strings: E A D G B E, from left to right as in
the chart below; or if you’re holding the guitar on your lap: working downwards.
You will notice on the chart below that there are two E strings! :
th
E 6 (On the left): the thickest: (the lowest note) and
E 1st (on the right), the thinnest: (higher note)
You can always remember the string order from this acronym:

Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears
(Or any other phrase that may help you to remember!)

With your guitar tuner to hand, you will need to set the ‘mhz’ to 440mhz, which is called
concert pitch. You can refer to your tuners manual on how to set this up or if you haven’t a
manual then you can ask your tutor how. Once this is done, unless told otherwise; leave this
value always, set at 440mhz. Always double check this value when you turn on your tuner.

Thickest string >>>>> Thinnest String
Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears

rd
th
th
nd
th
6 5 4 3 2 1st