There are a number of ways to go about tuning your guitar. You can use a piano or keyboard, a tuning fork or an electronic, hand-held tuner.

There are even online guitar tuners that you can use to tune up while sitting at your computer. The online guitar tuner allows you to click on a button to play an audio loop of each note to use as a reference.

Try clicking on the button for the low E. You should hear the same note played over and over.

As your reference note plays, begin striking the 6thth String (low E) on your guitar.

If the string is out of tune, you should be able to hear it. The note coming from your guitar may sound “sharp” (higher) or “flat” (lower) than the note coming from your reference.

While holding your guitar in your lap in playing position, reach up and turn the first tuning knob in either a counter-clockwise direction to raise the pitch, or a clockwise position to lower the pitch.

Keep adjusting as needed until the note from your guitar and the note playing from your reference sound in perfect unison. If you like, you can use the online tuner to tune all six strings.

These sorts of tools can be life-savers if you don’t have perfect pitch. I do recommend, however, that you at least attempt to learn how to tune your guitar “by ear.” You never know when you might be on stage, and need to do a quick tune-up without the aid of one of these devices.