Best
Beginner-Friendly Tuner
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Overall: Its Upgraded Tuning Processor Results In Rapid Tuning
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Best Feature: Its Sturdy Clip Arm With Swivel Action Ensures It Stays In Position
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TedScore™: 9.5/10
Best
Budget Pick Guitar Tuner
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Overall: Designed With A Non-Marring Soundhole Clip
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Best Feature: Designed to sit in the acoustics soundhole to provide a discreet tuning
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TedScore™: 8/10
Best
Versatile Guitar Tuner
Guitar Tuner STYLISH AND COMPACT HANDHELD TUNER
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Overall: Provides accurate tunings
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Best Feature: With An Improved Display For Easy Reading And Quick, Precise Tuning
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TedScore™: 9/10
Guitar Tuner: An Essential Tool for Beginner Guitarists
Got a new guitar and can’t keep it in tune? **Worry not**, a guitar tuner’s just what you need! This handy tool helps you get that **perfect sound**, making your early sessions more fun and satisfying.
A guitar tuner is an essential tool for every guitar player, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro. It helps you tune your guitar to the correct pitch, ensuring that your chords and melodies sound crisp and clear.
With a guitar tuner, you’ll hear the difference between a perfectly tuned guitar and one that’s out of tune.
But why settle for a boring old tuner when you can make tuning your guitar a fun and engaging experience? With the help of modern technology, tuners now come with colorful displays and fun graphics.
Some even have games and challenges that make tuning your guitar a game!
Imagine tuning your guitar to the sound of a cute little animal or playing a “Simon Says” game while you tune each string. It’s a great way to make the process fun and engaging, especially for younger players or those who find tuning tedious.
So don’t let tuning your guitar bring you down. With a fun and engaging electronic guitar tuner, you can tune your guitar like a pro and have fun at it.
Happy strumming!
Types of Guitar Tuners
Clip-On Tuners
Clip-on tuners are small devices that clip onto the headstock of your guitar. A small screen displays the result after a vibration sensor detects the string’s pitch.
Clip-on tuners are popular because they’re easy to use and can be attached and removed quickly.
Pedal Tuners
Pedal tuners are larger units that sit on the floor and are connected to your guitar via a cable.
They work like clip-on tuners but have a larger display and additional features, such as muting the signal when tuning or allowing you to tune multiple instruments at once.
Handheld Tuners
Handheld tuners are small devices you hold and use to tune your guitar.
They typically have a built-in microphone that picks up the sound of your guitar and the device displays the pitch on a screen.
Pitch Pipes
Pitch pipes are a simple and inexpensive way to tune your guitar. They consist of a small tube with several reeds inside.
You blow into the tube, and each reed produces a different pitch, allowing you to tune your guitar by ear.
Chromatic Tuners
Chromatic tuners are the most popular type of guitar tuners. They are designed to detect the pitch of every note and tune your guitar accordingly.
They can be used for any instrument, both electric and acoustic guitars. Chromatic tuners are affordable, accurate, and easy to use.
Steps on How to Tune a Guitar Using a Tuner
Adjust the tuning pegs
Use your tuning pegs to adjust the string’s pitch until the tuner shows the note is in tune. Turn the tuning pegs slowly and carefully, making small adjustments until the tuner display shows the note is in the middle.
Repeat steps four and step 5 for the remaining five strings. Start with the thickest string (low E), then move down to the second thickest (A), then D, G, B, and finally, the thinnest string (high E).
Remember to pluck each string before making adjustments.
Play a chord to ensure your guitar sounds great once all six strings are tuned. If any strings are still out of tune, repeat steps 4-6 until everything is perfect.
The Best Guitar Tuners We Recommend for Beginners
Finding the right guitar tuner can be a daunting task for beginners.
To help you out, we have compiled a list of the best guitar tuners that are easy to use and affordable.
PERFECT FOR: acoustic guitar, electric, and bass guitar players
FEATURES: With an improved display for easy reading and quick, precise tuning
OTHER INFO: Accommodates 7-string guitars and dropped tunings
Korg GA-50 Guitar Tuner
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- With memory backup
- Has excellent battery life, which allows up to 135 hours of use
- Reliable with fabulous functionality
- Provides accurate tunings
- Does not have a built-in metronome
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
PERFECT FOR: acoustic guitarists
FEATURES: With a highly sensitive piezo transducer
OTHER INFO: Designed with a non-marring soundhole clip
D'Addario NS Micro Soundhole Tuner
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- With a bright, multi-colour display
- Has a 435 – 455hz calibration range
- Designed to sit in the acoustics soundhole to provide a discreet tuning
- Offers exceptional tuning accuracy
- Not suitable to use in noisy environments
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
PERFECT FOR: all guitar players
FEATURES: Has a classic Fender design for an accurate and precise tuning
OTHER INFO: Comes with a 360-degree adjustable swivel for convenient tuning
Fender Original Clip-On Tuner
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Designed with a bright LED screen
- Compact and easy to carry anywhere
- Lets you tune with complete ease, even in the darkest of venues
- A little expensive compared to other brands
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
PERFECT FOR: precise tuning accuracy
FEATURES: Its sturdy clip arm with swivel action ensures it stays in position, and the high-resolution screen makes it easy to read
OTHER INFO: Its upgraded tuning processor results in rapid and precise tuning
Snark SN5X
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- With a high definition display
- Rotates 360°
- Creates a well-calibrated tune
- Weaker plastic tabs due to low quality
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
DESIGNED FOR: Guitarists of all skill levels.
OTHER INFO: Crafted from high-quality stainless steel, with strategically placed padding for enhanced grip without harming the instrument
FEATURES: PolyTune technology to quickly and accurately tune all six strings at once, chromatic (±0.05 cent) and extra accurate strobe tuning modes (±0.02 cent)
TC Electronic PolyTune Clip Guitar Tuner, White
When you check the price above, you’ll see there are loads of great places to buy this item. Our personal favorite is Gear4music.
It is the largest music retailer in the UK and fast becoming the most respected online music shop in the US too. Their customer service is excellent, they have competitive prices, really fast shipping, and usually have the longest guarantee.
Most professional musicians use Gear4music, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t too!
- Ultra-bright, adaptive display for easy readouts no matter the orientation.
- Elegant yet durable design, with high-quality stainless steel clip.
- Flat tuning and capo modes.
- Battery needs to be replaced occasionally.
The professional musician who wrote this article combined many things,
from the product build, manufacturer’s reputation through to feedback
from other users, to create our famous TedScore™.
Alternative Methods on How to Tune a Guitar
There are several alternative methods you can use to tune a guitar without a tuner, including:
Using a tuning fork
A tuning fork is a small metal musical instrument that produces a fixed pitch when struck. To use a tuning fork to tune your guitar, strike it and hold it against the guitar’s body near the soundhole.
Then, tune the A string to the pitch of the standard tuning fork. Once the A string is tuned, you can use it as a reference pitch to tune the rest of the strings by ear.
Using a piano
If you have access to a piano, you can use it to tune your guitar. Start by playing the A note on the piano and tuning the A string on your guitar to match that pitch. Then, use the other notes on the piano to tune the rest of the strings.
For example, play the E note on the piano and tune the low E string on your guitar to match that pitch.
Using a mobile app
There are several guitar tuning apps available for smartphones and tablets that use the device’s microphone to detect the pitch of each string.
Open the app, select the tuning you want, and play each string one at a time. The app will display whether the string is in tune and guide how to adjust the tuning.
Tuning by ear using harmonics
Harmonics is a technique where you lightly touch the string at certain points to produce a bell-like tone. To tune your guitar using harmonics, start by playing a harmonic at the 5th or 7th fret of one string.
Then, play the harmonic at the corresponding fret on the next string and tune that string until the two harmonics on new strings are in tune with each other. Repeat this process for the rest of the strings.
Tuning by ear using the fifth-fret method
To use the fifth-fret method, start by tuning the A string to a reference pitch. Then, play the fifth fret of the A string and tune the open D string to match that pitch. Next, play the fifth fret of the D string and tune the open G string to match that pitch.
Repeat this process for the rest of the strings. This method works because the distance between the fifth fret and the next open string is the same as between the open and the next fret.
Tips for Tuning Your Guitar
When and How Often to Tune Your Guitar
You should tune your guitar every time you play. This will help ensure accuracy, especially when developing your intonation skills.
Plus, various factors can affect how often you tune your guitar, such as humidity, temperature, playing style, guitar type, and even how your guitar is strung.
If you’re playing folk or classical music, you may need to tune in more often than if you’re strumming. If you have an old set of strings, they may lose elasticity faster, making them detune more frequently.
Ensure your tuning pegs are tightly screwed in and the nuts and saddles are properly lubricated. If you’re having any issues with intonation, it’s best to talk to a guitar expert.
But for now, focus on tuning up before each practice session.
Ways to Keep Your Guitar to Stay in Tune
Keeping your instrument in tune longer is crucial for delivering the best possible sound as a guitarist. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep your guitar in tune for longer.
1. It’s important to install your strings properly. Ensure the nylon strings themselves are firmly seated on the guitar at the ball end of the string, and use a minimum number of neat winds around the tuner post.
2. Stretch your strings well to improve their longevity. Old strings can result in intonation problems, so it’s important to change them regularly.
3. Make sure that your guitar is properly set up. This will help with many tuning aspects, including uneven frets or an improperly adjusted neck. Lubricating the sticking points on the guitar can help prevent friction from affecting tuning stability. Consider having a professional guitar repairman set up your instrument if necessary.
Guitar Tuner For Beginners
Summary
Finding the right guitar tuner for beginners is crucial for ensuring that your guitar is always in tune and ready to play.
When choosing a tuner, look for accuracy, ease of use, and durability. Clip-on tuners are a popular choice for beginners due to their affordability and convenience, but there are also alternative methods for tuning your guitar without a tuner.
Whether you choose a clip-on tuner or one of these alternative methods, the key takeaway is to always tune your guitar before playing to ensure it sounds its best. So, invest in a good tuner and confidently play your guitar!
Wait, there’s more!!!
Check out my new article on the 21 Best Accessories For Your Guitar.
