Tune by ear (5th-fret method)
Concept
If your low E is in tune (use a tuner app), you can tune the rest by ear. The 5th fret of one string matches the open note of the next string — with one exception on the B string.
Why it works
Most adjacent strings are tuned a perfect fourth apart (5 half steps = 5 frets). So pressing the 5th fret of one string produces the same pitch as the next open string above it.
The B string is the odd one out. G to B is a major third (4 half steps), so you use the 4th fret of G, not the 5th.
The procedure
1. Get the low E exactly in tune with a tuner. 2. Fret 5 of low E (= A). Pluck it and the open A together. Adjust the A tuner until they match. 3. Fret 5 of A (= D). Match the open D. 4. Fret 5 of D (= G). Match the open G. 5. Fret 4 of G (= B). Match the open B. ← exception! 6. Fret 5 of B (= E). Match the open high E.
Tune UP to pitch, not down. If you overshoot, drop below and come back up. This takes the slack out of the tuning machine.
Train your ear
When two notes are out of tune, you'll hear a 'wobble' (beating). The closer to in-tune, the slower the wobble. When the wobble disappears, you're locked in.
Do this every time you tune, even if you're using an app. Your ear gets sharper for free.
Key takeaways
- •Fret 5 of one string = next open string. Except G→B, which is fret 4.
- •Tune up to pitch, never down.
- •Listen for the wobble — it slows as you approach in-tune.
Glossary
- Beating
- The wobbling sound made by two slightly mistuned notes interfering.
- Perfect fourth
- An interval of 5 semitones. Most guitar string pairs are tuned this way.