Online Guitar Tuner
Acoustic & electric guitar chromatic pitch detection via microphone or reference audio tones. Tuned to scientific concert pitch.
Standard target notes and reference frequencies for each string. Select a string to lock pitch detection or click to play reference tone.
How to Tune a Guitar with a Microphone or by Ear
Whether you play acoustic, classical, or electric guitar, keeping your instrument in tune is the most important first step before practicing or recording. You can tune automatically using your device's microphone above, or click the individual string buttons to match each pitch by ear.
1. Step-by-Step Tuning Instructions
- Hold your guitar in playing position: Always tune with the guitar resting on your leg or strap as you normally play. Laying it flat on a table bends the neck backwards and makes your notes sound flat when you sit up.
- Pluck the 6th string (thickest string, Low E): Strike the string firmly with a pick or thumb near the soundhole or pickups. Let it ring clearly.
- Watch the tuner meter: If the needle points to the left, your string is flat (too low). Slowly turn the tuning peg to tighten the string. If the needle points to the right, your string is sharp (too high).
- Lock in the green center: Turn until the indicator lands directly on 0 cents and turns green. Repeat this for strings 5 (A), 4 (D), 3 (G), 2 (B), and 1 (High E).
Guitar tuning gears naturally have a tiny bit of mechanical play (slack). If your string is too sharp, do not just loosen it down to the note. Instead, turn the peg down below the note first, then tighten slowly up to the pitch. This keeps tension locked against the gear teeth so your guitar stays in tune while strumming hard.
2. Standard Guitar String Notes & Frequencies
Standard guitar tuning is E - A - D - G - B - E, ordered from the thickest 6th string to the thinnest 1st string. Here are the target frequencies and standard string gauges:
| String # | Note Name | Standard Frequency | Electric Light (10-46) | Acoustic Light (12-53) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| String 1 (Thinnest) | E4 (High E) | 329.63 Hz | .010 in | .012 in |
| String 2 | B3 | 246.94 Hz | .013 in | .016 in |
| String 3 | G3 | 196.00 Hz | .017 in | .024 in (Wound) |
| String 4 | D3 | 146.83 Hz | .026 in | .032 in |
| String 5 | A2 | 110.00 Hz | .036 in | .042 in |
| String 6 (Thickest) | E2 (Low E) | 82.41 Hz | .046 in | .053 in |
3. Troubleshooting Slipping Strings and Pegs
- Stretch new strings: New guitar strings need to settle. After putting on fresh strings, gently pull each string upward about an inch away from the fretboard, retune, and repeat 2-3 times until the pitch stays steady.
- Lubricate sticky nut slots: If you hear a sudden "ping" sound while tuning, the string is catching in the headstock nut slot. Rubbing a soft pencil tip (graphite) into the nut grooves acts as a dry lubricant and cures slipping.
- Wind strings neatly around pegs: Make sure string winds stack cleanly downwards without overlapping or crisscrossing on the tuning posts.
4. Popular Alternate Tunings for Guitar
- Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-E): Lower only your 6th string from E down to D. This lets you play heavy power chords with a single flat finger, widely used in rock, metal, and acoustic fingerstyle.
- DADGAD: Lower strings 6, 2, and 1 down one full step. This produces an open ringing sound beloved in Celtic and folk acoustic songs.
- Half Step Down (Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb): Tune every string down by one semitone. This relieves string tension, makes bends easier, and suits lower vocal ranges (popularized by Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana).
Frequently Asked Questions
Low strings vibrate at slower frequencies that laptop and phone microphones can struggle to pick up. Try plucking firmly with the fleshy side of your thumb instead of a thin pick, or pluck closer to the 12th fret to give the note a rounder, clearer tone.
Yes. Hold the body or headstock of your electric guitar close to your device microphone in a quiet room. The unamplified acoustic vibration of the strings is usually plenty loud for the tuner to detect.
Give it a quick check every time you sit down to play. Temperature shifts, humidity changes, and aggressive strumming naturally pull strings slightly sharp or flat over time.