Guitar Basics - Tuning and Playing a Guitar

By Kirk Downing

What do you think playing guitar is all about? Is it just learning the basic chords and the various techniques of hitting the strings? Or is there more to the whole exercise? To be a good guitar player, you not only have to have the willingness to learn, but a natural flair for the instrument as well does not hurt. As it happens so often, only a few of us are blessed with such talent, and hence we have only a few who are recognized as phenomenal players worldwide. However, do not lose heart; you can still learn about playing guitar for your personal enjoyment.

Regardless of whether you are thinking of playing guitar professionally or as a hobby, it is best to undergo the complete learning experience - not just about the different chords and grips. Let us take a look at a critical aspect of playing the guitar - tuning it.

Tuning and Playing Guitar
A very important aspect of learning how to play the guitar is to know how to tune it. A guitar usually goes out of tune ever so often, owing to a number of external factors - the quality of the guitar, the weather, etc. An out of tune guitar will never produce the exact sound required.
Visualize this: Your friends have gathered at your home for the evening. They know you are learning the guitar, and want you to give a small demo of some of the stuff you have learned. You are eager to show off your knowledge and newly acquired skill to your friends. You pick up the guitar and sure enough, it is totally out of tune. You have no clue how to tune it. What do you tell your friends?

Did you know? A variety of different tuning methods are used today. The most common by far is known as "Standard Tuning" (EADGBE)

Things to Know About Tuning Before You Start Playing Guitar

Playing guitar so you produce the right sound depends, to a large extent, on how well you tune your guitar. There are several different ways to accomplish this task. Universally, tuning the guitar involves using another source of sound at the same pitch as the reference pitch. The sound you reference your guitar to is usually the E note. The E note of your guitar should sound exactly the same as the in-tune reference sound source.

Initially, playing guitar can seem a much easier task than tuning it; the best option available would be to get a hold of a friend who plays the guitar to tune it for you. If this option is not viable, an even easier option for tuning is to use a reference source that produces a fixed sound for each note, and does not go out of tune. You could use a pitch pipe or, even better, an electronic tuner or a synthesizer/piano, both of which are sources that produce fixed sounds for each note that do not go out of tune.

You will find more about guitar tuning in any of the numerous tutorials available on the Internet. Once you know how to tune your guitar you can get on with the actual process of learning how to begin playing guitar.

Kirk Downing is the creator of the popular portal for guitar enthusiasts called JamDojo. Total beginners can find a wealth of information in the form of articles and blog posts. If you're trying to learn how to play guitar, JamDojo.com is the answer.