Guitar Lesson #2 - Tuning Your Guitar

In this lesson we will discussing tuning a guitar. There are three different methods that can be used to tune a guitar.

1. Tuning with an electric tuner
2. Tuning to a keyboard
3. Relative tuning

An electric tuner usually has an input jack which you can use to connect to your guitar. As you are strumming each string individually the tuner will read it and tell you if the string is in tune or not. You basically just move the tuning pegs until the tuner lets you know that the string is in tune. Each tuner comes with a little booklet which goes into further instruction on how to use that specific tuner.

When using a keyboard to tune your guitar what you have to do is very simple. You play the key indicated on the example to the right on the piano and just match the pitch to the string indicated on your guitar.

• 1st string = E4
• 2nd string = B3
• 3rd string = G3
• 4th string = D3
• 5th string = A2
• 6th string = E2

In relative tuning one of the things you'll be using most is your ear. The first step would be to tune your 6th string. When it is in tune on your 6th string you'll go to your 5th fret. The pitch produced on your sixth string on the fifth fret is what you are to tune your 5th string to. On your 5th string, 5th fret, the sound produced is what you are to tune your 4th string to. On your 4th string, 5th fret, the sound produced is what you are to tune your 3rd string to, and so forth.

• 6th string, 5th fret = 5th string
• 5th string, 5th fret = 4th string
• 4th string, 5th fret = 3rd string
• 3rd string, 4th fret = 2nd string
• 2nd string, 5th fret = 1st string

Relative tuning comes in handy when there is no keyboard or electric tuner around. More than that it helps you develop your ear because you have to pay close attention and distinguish pitches in order to tune the string to one another.

If you have any questions or I didn't make some clear just ask and I'll be more than glad to help. If you would like for me to talk about a certain topic or give a more detailed explanation just let me know.

Guitar Lesson #1

Alright so in this first guitar lesson we will be discussing the different types of guitars and the different parts of a guitar. One thing I think is very important is for a musician to know about their instrument, at least know the basics of what makes their instrument.

There are basically three types of guitar: nylon classical, steel string acoustic, and electric guitar. The nylong and steel strings are both acoustic guitars. The nylon has more of a softer sound to it and the steel string acoustic has more of a rustic sound. Another type of nylon guitar is what in spanish we call a requinto and the purpose of this type of nylon guitar is mainly for arpeggiating. Then we have our electric guitar whose strings are also made from steel but are a slightly bit thinner than the strings of a steel string acoustic guitar. Plus an electric guitar unlike acoustic guitars need to plugged into an amp in order to produce its full sound.

Now to talk about the parts of the guitar. The guitar can basically be divided in three sections, the top, middle and bottom section. Let's begin with the top part.

The top part would be the head of the guitar. In the picture to the left we can see the head of the guitar. We also find the tuning pegs, tuning knobs, or tuning keys, however it is you may wish to call them. I prefer tuning knobs. =) At the very bottom of the "head" of the guitar we find the nut which is that black line you see at the bottom in this picture.

Let's take a look at the middle of the guitar. In the middle of the guitar we will find the neck of the guitar. We have the back part and the front part which would be the face of the neck. The face of the neck is also called the fingerboard which is the part we see in the picture to our right. In the finger board we find the frets. The frets are pieces of metal that are placed throughout the neck of the guitar.

Now let's take a look at the bottom parts of the guitar. This picture on the right is the body of an electric guitar. This body has four pickups, a 5 switch pickup controller, one tone controller, and a volume controller.

This electric guitar has a feature that the other guitar on top does not. If you could tell this electric guitar has a whammy bar! in its body. Lol.

This is a nylon acoustic guitar. Both the nylon and steel-string guitars have the same features in its body. It is only in the electric guitar that the features in the body of the guitar change. In the acoustics we can see that there is a hole in the middle. This hole is called the sound hole which is part of where the sound of the acoustic guitar comes from.

At the bottom of the guitar, towards one end of the strings we can find the bridge. On the bridge there is a small piece of wood attached to the bridge called a saddle which is where the strings rest.

Any question on the different guitars or the parts of the guitar that I didn't explain here and you would like to know about just leave a comment and I'll be more than glad to help answer your question.