Beginner Guitar Tuning Chart
Standard tuning made simple · tap a string, match the pitch by ear · plus the fret method if you have no tuner
How to play
- Hear out of tune → in tune is the one to try first. It plays a string badly flat, then slightly flat, then dead in tune. Listen for the wobble — when two notes are close but not equal you hear a pulsing beat, and the slower it gets the closer you are. When it vanishes, you are in tune. That beat is the whole trick to tuning by ear.
- Six tunings are included: Standard, Drop D and ½ step down to start with, plus Open G, Open D and DADGAD so you can hear what the open strings sound like on their own.
- Start with the thickest string (the 6th, low E) and work across to the thinnest. Tap a string card to hear a steady reference tone and turn the tuning peg until your string matches — when the two pitches are close you will hear a slow "wobble" that disappears as you land on it.
- Tune up to the note, not down. If your string is sharp, go below the pitch and come back up — it holds much better.
- Tap a string card to hear the reference tone again at any time. Cards read 6th (thickest, lowest) on the left to 1st (thinnest, highest) on the right.
- Pick a tuning at the top. Notes that differ from standard are marked in green with how far they move.
- Play all sounds the whole tuning from low to high. Tune the low string first, then work up.
- Drop D lowers only the 6th string for heavy riffs; Open tunings make the open strings a chord for slide playing. Vol sets volume. Keyboard: Tab + Enter/Space.
- No tuner? Use the fret method at the bottom: tune your lowest string, then fret it where shown and match the next open string to that pitch. Tap a step to hear the target note.
Tune by ear — the fret method
Get one string in tune (use the reference tones above), then match each next string to a fretted note on the one below it. Tap a step to hear the two pitches in unison.
Watch the yellow fret! One pair uses a different fret than the others — in standard tuning that’s the 3rd string at fret 4 (because B is only a major 3rd above G).
This chart help you learn how to tune your guitar. The Beginner Guitar Tuning Chart is an interactive tool that lets you tune your guitar by ear or by using the fret method. Simply press keys on your keyboard (it’ll make your work flow faster) or use your mouse, and listen to each sound. The interface are intuitively designed so that you can start tuning right away without having to read a manual first.
On top you can select other tunings. To do so just click on one of these buttons: Open D, Open G, Drop D, Standard (default), Half Step Down or DADGAD. For each tuning there’s also a short note about its purpose. Standard tuning is fine for most songs, while Drop D lowers the thickest string if you want to play some seriously heavy riffs. Open tunings is nice for slide playing because they make a chord if you simply strum across all your open strings.
How to Use the Guitar Tuning Chart
The six cards beneath the tuning selector represent the six strings of your guitar. They are arranged with the thickest string on the left going through to the thinnest string on the right. Simply click on one of the cards and it will plays the right pitch for that string. As it plays, the card lights up. Compare this with the reference tone and gently turn your guitar tuning pegs until your string is tuned to the same pitch.
When doing this by ear, you can listen out for a pulsing or wobbling sound which indicate the gap between the two tones. This slows down more closely you match the pitch and goes away completely once you’re exactly in tune.
If you don’t have an electronic tuner there’s another way called the fret method (listed below the widget). It indicates where to press on any string with your finger so it matches the pitch of the string played open. Click on each step here and listen to two notes together. You should hear the fretted note and then the target open string note playing in unison. Go through each string starting from the lowest string upwards. Watch out for the yellow fret marker. On the B string in standard tuning, it is the fourth fret different than the fifth.
If you click the Hear:out of tune to in tune button, it will play a string that’s obviously flat, followed by one that’s only just flat, and then a final note in tune. This trains your ear to identify that wobbly sound as getting closer to correct note.
The Play all button plays each of the six strings in turn, lowest to highest, which can be useful when you’ve tuned your individual strings but want to check the whole guitar is now in tune.
The volume slider controls the master volume. It is useful when using headphones or in a shared environment.
Help button, shows detailed instructions on how to use the widget, including tips for tuning by ear and explanations about why you should of always tune up from a note, not down.
The Fullscreen button makes the widget fullscreen. This is useful on small devices or if you do not want distractions while working on the tuning interface.
The widget is fully navigable from your keyboard. To move around, press tab to shift focus to the next button/card/string. Pressing space/enter will trigger whatever is in focus. This allows you to make changes without having to grab for the mouse, which is great when tuning.
Even if you do have a tuner, try changing through some other tunings to listen to the interval differences. Fretting along also helps develop your ear and learn more about the workings of the fretboard.
Turn up the volume just loud enough for comfort. Choose Standard tuning (unless you’re doing something unusual). Click on the low E on the string cards. Tune up the guitar to match what you heard. Next, move onto the following string. Go slow. The more attentive and relaxed you are, the better you will tune.
If you want to listen again, use the tool as a reference point for your tuning. It is a useful combination of the fret method, ear training, and reference tones all in one place. It enables you to tune correctly and does not require another piece of equipment. Use the different options to gain confidence as you practice. Your ear will improve with each session. Get your guitar in tune, enjoy doing it and keep practicing