What is the standard tuning for a guitar?

The standard guitar tuning is E-A-D-G-B-E, read from the thickest sixth string to the thinnest first string. The sixth string is a low E, then it rises to A, D, G, B, and the first string returns to a high E. This order is the reference you aim for every time you tune, and almost every beginner song uses this standard tuning.

Which tool is easiest for a beginner to tune a guitar?

A clip-on tuner is the most beginner-friendly choice. This small device clamps onto the headstock and reads vibration straight from the wood, so it stays accurate even in a busy room. It is affordable. If you do not have one yet, a free tuner app on your phone such as GuitarTuna or Fender Tune works, as long as the room is quiet enough for the microphone to pick up the pitch cleanly.

Why does my guitar go out of tune quickly after tuning?

A few normal causes are behind it. New strings are still stretching in the first days, so they drop pitch fast. Changes in temperature and humidity also shift the tension of the wood and strings. Tuning one string slightly affects the others because the pull on the neck changes. So cross-check all the strings for two to three rounds, and help new strings by gently pulling them a few times until they settle.

Can I tune a guitar without any device?

Yes, with the 5th-fret method that matches pitches between strings. Press the sixth string at the fifth fret and match its sound to the open fifth string, and so on for each following pair. The exception is the third string to the second, which uses the fourth fret. This method keeps the strings in tune with one another. To match the guitar to other instruments, you still need one reference pitch, for example A 440 Hz.

Which way do I turn the peg to raise the pitch?

Turning the peg in the direction that tightens the string raises the pitch, and loosening the string lowers it. The turning direction can differ between guitar brands and between peg positions. The safe way is to turn one peg slowly while plucking its string, then watch the tuner to see whether the pitch rises or falls. Once you know your own guitar, the process becomes quick.

How often does a guitar need tuning?

Ideally every time before you play. Strings and wood keep shifting with temperature, humidity, and tension, so yesterday's setting may not be right today. Fortunately, once you are used to it, checking and touching up six strings takes only a few minutes. Making tuning a habit at the start of a session keeps your ear practicing over correct pitches.

Can tuning too high snap a string?

Yes, tightening a string far past its target note risks snapping it, and a broken string can hurt your eyes. Raise the pitch little by little while reading the tuner, and stop right when the target note is reached. If the screen shows a note letter already higher than the target, loosen the string first instead of tightening it further.

How to Tune a Guitar for Beginners From a Tuner to Tuning by Ear

Six ordered steps that carry a beginner from learning the standard tuning E-A-D-G-B-E, to tuning neatly with a device, to matching pitches with the ear alone.

Estimated time: 5 to 10 minutes each time before you play

Flat illustration of tuning a guitar: a headstock with pegs, a clip-on tuner, and a string-note diagram

How to tune a guitar for beginners is easiest with a clip-on tuner or a tuner app. Clip the tuner onto the headstock, pluck one string, then turn the pegs slowly until the needle sits right on the standard note. The order runs from the thickest string to the thinnest: E, A, D, G, B, E. Once you are used to it, the whole process takes five to ten minutes and can be done every time before you play.

The standard guitar tuning is E-A-D-G-B-E, read from the thickest sixth string to the thinnest first string
A clip-on tuner is the most beginner-friendly tool because it reads the wood's vibration and shrugs off noise
The ear can be trained to tune on its own through the 5th-fret method, a valuable backup when no tuner is around

What You Need

An acoustic or classical guitar with six usable strings and none broken

Sources & References

1. How to Tune a Guitar · Fender Play (2026)
2. Standard Guitar Tuning Explained · Yamaha (2026)
3. ISO 16 Acoustics Standard Tuning Frequency A 440 Hz · International Organization for Standardization (2024)
4. How to Tune Your Guitar by Ear · JustinGuitar (2025)

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Six Steps to Tune a Guitar From Scratch

Take them in order. The first four steps get your guitar ready to play today, and the last two train your ear so you can become independent of any device.

Step 1: Learn the Number, Note, and Turning Direction of Each String

Name your six strings first. The sixth string is the thickest and sits highest when you hold the guitar, and its note is a low E. Moving down in order: the fifth string is A, the fourth is D, the third is G, the second is B, and the first and thinnest string returns to E, this time a high E. This E-A-D-G-B-E order is the standard tuning you aim for. While memorizing, get to know the pegs too: turn one peg slowly while plucking its string, and notice whether the pitch rises or falls. Each guitar brand can differ in direction, so feel your own guitar until it becomes second nature.

Tips

Memorize the E-A-D-G-B-E order with a simple mnemonic you make up yourself so it stays with you
Mark which is the thickest sixth string, this is where you always begin the tuning process

Step 2: Prepare a Beginner-Friendly Tuning Tool

Choose a clip-on tuner as your main tool. Clip it onto the headstock, near the pegs, then switch it on. This type reads vibration straight from the wood, so it stays accurate even in a busy room. If you do not own one yet, download a free tuner app on your phone such as GuitarTuna or Fender Tune, which tunes through the microphone. For an app, find a reasonably quiet room so the microphone picks up the pitch cleanly. Make sure the tuner is on the standard mode, usually marked C or Chromatic, so it reads every note as it truly is.

Tips

A clip-on tuner costing only a little is a small investment that saves a great deal of frustration
For a phone app, switch off the fan or television first so the pitch reading stays clean

Step 3: Tune One at a Time Starting From the Thickest String

Begin with the thickest sixth string. Pluck it once cleanly, let it ring, then read the tuner screen. The screen shows the detected note letter and a needle or a light. If the letter is not yet E or the needle is not yet centered, turn that string's peg slowly while you keep plucking, until the letter E appears and the needle sits dead center. Once the sixth string is done, move to the fifth string for A, then D, G, B, and finally the first string for high E. Work in order so no string is skipped.

Tips

Pluck with a steady, medium touch, an overly hard pluck throws the tuner's reading off at first
Finish one string until it is exactly right before moving to the next

Do not tighten a string far past its target note. Excess tension snaps the string and can hurt your eyes. Raise the pitch little by little.

Step 4: Turn the Peg Slowly and Always Rise Up to the Note

There is a small technique that makes the setting hold longer. As you near the target note, aim to stop from slightly below the pitch, then rise gently up to it. Tuning while rising locks the string more stably than tuning while falling. If you overshoot the note, loosen the string first until it sits below the target, then raise it slowly again. Turn the peg in small movements, since a little turn already shifts the pitch quite far. Patience at this step keeps the guitar in tune longer while you play.

Tips

Move the peg little by little, a quarter turn is enough to feel the change
If you overshoot too high, drop below the target first then rise again so the string locks in stable

Step 5: Cross-Check Because Strings Affect One Another

Tuning one string slightly shifts the overall tension on the neck, so a string that was already right can drift again. For that reason, once all six strings are done, repeat the check from the sixth string one more time. Pluck each string and make sure the tuner still shows the correct note. On a guitar left untuned for a long time or freshly restrung, you may need two to three rounds of checking before all the pitches settle. This is normal and a natural part of the process. Once everything is stable, try plucking a simple chord to hear whether the sound is clear.

Tips

Repeat a full check at least twice, especially on strings that were just replaced
Pluck a G or E major chord as a final listening test, the ear quickly catches any string still out of tune

Step 6: Train Your Ear With the 5th-Fret Method

Once you are comfortable with a tuner, begin training your ear so you become independent later. The 5th-fret method uses one already-correct string as a reference for the string next to it. Press the sixth string at the fifth fret, and its note matches the open fifth string, so match the two. The same approach works for the fifth string to the fourth, the fourth to the third, and the second to the first, all at the fifth fret. The only exception is the third string to the second, which uses the fourth fret. Practice this listening regularly while still checking with the tuner, until your ear grows confident recognizing two pitches that are already the same.

Tips

Remember the exception: the third-to-second string pair uses the fourth fret, the rest use the fifth
Train your ear while keeping the tuner open as a comparison, until your guesses are consistently right

Method	Strengths	What You Need to Prepare
Clip-on tuner	Accurate, resistant to a noisy room, easy to read	Requires buying a device, priced affordably
Phone app	Free and always in your pocket	Needs a quiet room for a clean microphone reading
5th-fret method by ear	No device, trains your musical hearing	Needs one correct reference string and regular practice

How to Tune a Guitar for Beginners From a Tuner to Tuning by Ear

Sources & References

Learn Guitar With Mentor Guidance

Why Tuning Is a Guitar Player's Very First Skill

Understand First What Tuning a Guitar Means

Six Steps to Tune a Guitar From Scratch

Step 1: Learn the Number, Note, and Turning Direction of Each String

Step 2: Prepare a Beginner-Friendly Tuning Tool

Step 3: Tune One at a Time Starting From the Thickest String

Step 4: Turn the Peg Slowly and Always Rise Up to the Note

Step 5: Cross-Check Because Strings Affect One Another

Step 6: Train Your Ear With the 5th-Fret Method

Three Ways to Tune a Beginner Can Choose

Clip-On Tuner

Phone Tuner App

Tuning by Ear

Comparing Tuning Tools for Beginners

Signs Your Guitar Is Tuned Correctly

How Much Does Guided Guitar Learning at EduPoint Cost

Questions About Tuning a Guitar for Beginners