The 5th Fret Tuning Method is a simple way to check your tuning and to tune your guitar. With this method you have to get at least one of your strings in tune (preferably the low E string), because from that string you will tune the rest of your strings using that as a reference. If you don't have access to a tuning fork, keyboard, or other tuning device, then that's fine. You can get one string as close as you can by ear and then tune the rest of the guitar to it. The guitar will be in tune with it's self and will sound just fine, even if every string is a little sharp or flat.

Open Strings - Down below I will talk about playing Open Strings. To play an Open String means to play a string without fretting anything. So that's why it's called Open.

How to tune a Guitar

5th Fret Guitar Tuning Method

Use the picture as a reference, Assuming now that your 6th String(Low E string) is in tune....

Fret the 5th fret on the 6th String, If your guitar is in tune or close, then if you pluck the fretted 6th string and the open 5th String, they should sound pretty close. Tune the pegs on your 5th string until they match the 6th String.
Now that the 5th String is in tune we can now tune the 4th String to it. It is the same process as before, fret the 5th fret on the 5th string and play the string and the Open 4th String, and then turn the pegs on the 4th String till they match.
Same process again, fret the 5th fret on the 4th String, and tune the Open 3rd String to the fretted 4rd String.
Now this is where it changes, Instead of fretting the 5th fret on the 3rd String, you fret the 4th, (Just like it shows in the picture). So you fret the 4th fret on the 3rd String and tune the Open 2nd string to it
For the last string, we fret the 5th fret on the 2nd String this time. We then tune the Open 1st String, to the 5th fretted 2nd String.

Now, do you know why we nick name it the 5th Fret Method? Your guitar should now be in tune. For a simple check to see if you do it right, you play both the 1st and the 6th string at the same time. They should sound similar, but just in a different octave. They both are tuned to E, they just are in different Octaves.

Guitar Tab to check tuning

This tab shows you quickly what frets and string to play to check your tuning.

			e:--------------0--0-:

			B:-----------0--5----:

			G:--------0--4-------:

			D:-----0--5----------:

			A:--0--5-------------:

			E:--5--------------0-:

Video of how to do it

Congratulations on tuning your guitar!

Comments

Comments on this page

Bored Guest Chris [06/01/2010 21:15]
AND a couple more (can you tell I'm bored?)... 4) I like checking as I'm going by playing some nice open chords... like a simple D chord... to verify the strings are in tune. Two strings alone, trying to match tone, may sound pretty close, but when add in thirds and fifths of a chord, it'll highlight issues. 5) In addition to tuning below pitch, as I mentioned above... I sometimes knock a string a good full pitch below, and slowly tighten... your ear can pick up on seriously out-of-tune notes through interference patterns (that "wah wah wah" when two notes are close but not exactly tuned), then you can tighten till that wah wah fades. 6) As a good standby, get yourself an electronic tuner... it'll do the "listening" for you and get it dead on. Say, for example, if you're like the guy in this video who doesn't realize both his E strings are slightly out. :\ If you use an electronic tuner, pluck strings lightly. Too much twang makes harmonics that'll confuse th
Guest [06/01/2010 21:07]
A couple other notes from an admitted amateur. 1) I always tune a string by starting below pitch, then working up to proper pitch. If you go down to pitch, you're loosening the string, and while it may sound good at first, it may not fully "loosen" immediately. Go back a few minutes later and it's off... AND if you use that string to tune successive strings, THEY are off as well. 2) It's also worth checking tune not only with open strings, as he shows above, but higher up the neck. If your bridge is out of adjustment (like on an electric), it can sound great with open strings, but fretted up to 12 and it can be off. So try checking at an octave up, and if it's off, you might need to adjust things more. 3) Don't just do a single pass through the strings and think you're done. As you tighten and loosen strings, a guitar neck can flex just a little, based on string tension. Those fat strings don't take much change to get out of tune. Successive passes will get
Guest Chris [06/01/2010 20:56]
You use the same method whether you're tuning "standard" or half-step down, up, full step, etc. Why? Because it's all relative to one string that you start with "in tune". When you make it "in tune", you can make it half step below from the beginning. Then you tuning the others relative to that. Want to tune down a half step? Start out with your one string, using a pitch pipe, tuned piano, electronic tuner, etc., and tune it half-step below standard. Standard is E-A-D-G-B-E... so pick the starting string, and tune whichever one to Eb-Ab-C#-F#-Bb-Eb. Then tune as described above. For what it's worth, I like to start my tuning with the G or D (one of the middle strings), then tune up to the E, then back down to the low E, then pluck both #1 and #6 strings at the same time. Tuned properly, those two should ring in pitch perfectly. I also check octaves on any string and its second neighbor.

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