Guitar Tuners

Although tuning your guitar is not a difficult process, guitars have a tendency to go out of tune quickly. Factors such as regular playing, accidental movement of the tuning keys, and weather or atmospheric conditions can all cause a guitar to go from being perfectly tuned to being out of tune. Because of these factors, many guitar players will wish to invest in some sort of guitar tuner in order to assist them in keeping their guitar tuned properly. There are several devices that a guitar player can purchase to help tune their guitar, and these range in price as well as the level of technology employed.

The simplest way to tune a guitar, assuming that you cannot tune your guitar by ear, or do not have another instrument nearby from which to tune your guitar, is through the use of a tuning fork. A tuning fork is a small piece of metal, the upper portion of which is shaped like the letter U, which can be struck against another object to produce a tone. Tuning forks produce only a single note, and thus it is important to know what note your tuning fork plays. Standard tuning forks produce an A note, the same as the second string of a guitar in standard tuning. It is possible, however, to purchase tuning forks which create other notes, depending on a musician's preference. For a guitar player, a tuning fork that produces a low E would probably be the most useful, but a skilled guitar player can probably make do with a different tuning fork.

Another simple device used for tuning a guitar is a pitchpipe. A pitchpipe is a small quasi-instrument, played by blowing air across a hole to create sound. Pitchpipes designed for assistance in tuning a guitar will usually include all six notes for a standard guitar tuning, so that each string can be tuned independently. Other varieties of pitchpipes are used to produce a note for a cappella singers to begin with, to make sure that they are "in tune" with one another, or to tune other instruments.

For those who prefer a slightly more technological device to assist in their tuning, electronic guitar tuners have become increasingly widespread and easy to use. Electronic tuners come in many sizes, shapes, and price ranges, but the basic principle behind an electronic tuner is that it hears a note played by an unfretted guitar string, and will have lights or other indicators to show the guitarist when their string is tuned to the appropriate note. Certain electronic tuners will try to determine what note you are aiming for, while others will allow you to specify which string you are tuning. The latter variety is generally easier to use.

There are computer programs and internet sites which can assist a guitar player to tune his or her instrument. Either of these options, of course, require access to a computer with a sound card and speakers, so they may not be the most practical tuners for those who play guitar outside of their own home or studio. For those who are tuning their guitar at home, however, this can be the least expensive and easiest way of tuning your guitar. Many of the previously mentioned tuners do not normally produce the tones necessary for alternate tunings, but most programs and internet sites are capable of helping you tune your guitar to a normal alternate tuning, or even custom alternate tunings that you define.

Finally, some newer guitars include a built-in tuner. Built-in tuners, like the previously mentioned tuning devices, still require a guitarist to actually adjust the strings of the guitar to tune them. However, the built-in tuner means that a guitarist has one less accessory to worry about remembering or losing. For those guitarists with older guitars, and no interest in buying a new guitar just for this feature, other methods of tuning are probably still preferable.

Some guitarists are blessed with perfect pitch, and do not need to use any sort of device to tune their guitar. They are able to hear when their guitar is out of tune, and adjust the strings accordingly. Perfect pitch, however, is fairly uncommon. Although an experienced guitarist may be able to tell that his or her guitar is out of tune, they may not be able to perfect it on their own. For other guitarists, who are working with other musicians, it may be possible to tune their guitar to another instrument, which is already tuned. For the rest of the guitarists of the world, however, investing in a guitar tuner of one of the above listed varieties is almost a necessity. Depending upon the individual guitarist's preferences and funds, he or she should be able to find a device which will assist in tuning a guitar.



Resources:
For those looking for an easy to use online guitar tuner, Tune My Bass offers tuning for both guitars and basses, including instruments with various numbers of strings and those requiring alternate tunings.