How to Tune a Guitar by Ear

Updated October 5, 2026

Listening for beats

When two notes are almost the same pitch, their sound waves mix and the volume pulses slowly up and down. This is called beating. The further apart the notes are, the faster the pulse. Turn the peg in the direction that slows the pulse down. When it stops, the notes match.

Start from a reference note

Tuning by ear puts the guitar in tune with itself. To be in tune with other instruments too, first match one string to a reference: a piano, a tuning fork or the reference tones on our tune-by-ear page. Most people start with the low E (E2).

Method 1: the 5th-fret method

When you press a string at the 5th fret, it plays the same note as the next thinner string played open. There is one exception.

1. Press string 6 at the 5th fret (A) and tune open string 5 to match.
2. Press string 5 at the 5th fret (D) and tune open string 4.
3. Press string 4 at the 5th fret (G) and tune open string 3.
4. Press string 3 at the 4th fret (B) and tune open string 2.
5. Press string 2 at the 5th fret (E) and tune open string 1.

The exception is the G string, because G to B is a major third (four frets), not a perfect fourth (five frets).

Method 2: harmonics

Touch a string lightly right above a fret wire, without pressing it down, and pluck it. You hear a clear, bell-like note called a harmonic. The harmonic at the 5th fret of one string matches the harmonic at the 7th fret of the next string. For the G and B strings, compare the 4th-fret harmonic of G with the 5th-fret harmonic of B.

Harmonics ring clearly, so beats are easy to hear. However, they give pure intervals, a few cents off from the guitar’s normal tuning (equal temperament). Check a few chords afterwards and adjust by ear if one sounds out of tune.

Method 3: tune each string to a reference

This is the most accurate way to tune by ear. Play a reference note for each string and match the strings one by one. The tune-by-ear tuner plays every string of any tuning and has a repeat button, so both your hands stay free.

Check your work

Play an E major chord and a G major chord. If one string sounds out of tune in both, retune that string. The microphone tuner is a quick way to check how close your ear got.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the G string tuned at the 4th fret?

Each pair of neighbouring strings is a perfect fourth (five frets) apart, except G and B. These two are a major third (four frets) apart.

Is tuning with harmonics accurate?

It is close, but harmonics give pure intervals, which are a few cents off from equal temperament. Use this method for a quick tune-up and check some chords afterwards.

Can I tune by ear if I have no reference note?

Yes, the guitar will be in tune with itself. Just expect it to be slightly higher or lower than other instruments and recordings.