Those who are new to playing the guitar are often so anxious to get started that they don’t learn to tune properly. Certainly you should take the time to learn to tune your guitar by ear for many reasons. One of these is that there are times when tuners are not available. Ear tuning is actually quite simple and often times much faster too. Sometimes this type of tuning is necessary to make small adjustments quickly. It takes very little time and effort to learn.

After playing the instrument for a while, most people get pretty good at using their ear to determine whether or not a string is in tune. Of course tuning each string based on its expected tone for a given tuning can be a bit much to ask at first. Instead, getting the low E tuned is a good place to start, and most newcomers are pleased to find they can get pretty close, even without a tuner.

When basing standard tuning off the sixth string, the rest of the strings can be adjusted based on the sound of the string directly above it on the neck. Start with string five. This is the A string and should sound like the low E string played on the fifth fret. When the fifth string matches this sound, it is in tune relative to the sixth string.

Follow this same procedure for the fourth string. Its pitch is the D note, and it should sound the same as the fifth string played in the fifth fret when strummed open. Moving down again, the third string, when played open, is G. This is the note the fourth string produces when played on the fifth fret.

The second string, also known as B, is where the pattern changes. To play a B on this string it must be picked at the fourth fret. For standard turning this is the only time fret five isn’t used.

Return to the fifth fret on the second string to produce the high E note. Tune the first string to this pitch. Next, check the first string and the sixth string to confirm they each produce E. These are the same notes, only they are separated by a single octave. If they don’t ring true, make adjustments, beginning again with the sixth string and working down to the first.

In time this process will become second nature, and tuning will be quite simple. It certainly pays to learn to tune your guitar by ear for lots of reasons, however the most important is quick tuning on the go. If everything is based off the sixth string played open, the guitar will sound correct even though the guitar itself may not be perfectly in tune.

Check out our tips and advice on how to learn to tune your guitar by ear now in our overview of the best online musical instrument store and everything you need to know about where to find guitar tuners