Tuning a guitar is defined as this: Altering the tuning pegs of a guitar so that each string sounds at the right note and / or pitch. In the guitar world, there are three types of tuning: relative tuning, electronic tuning and reference tuning. In this article I will talk about all three types of tuning.

There are many different kinds of notes that a guitar can tune to. Finger stylists and blues guitarists are known to use altered tunings. For all guitar tunings, there is a basic standard tuning and it is something all guitar players should adhere too, whether new or experienced. This tuning is generally defined as this: low to high, E, A, D, G, B and E. The altered tuning has to do in a great deal with the kind of evolution and style of music that has evolved over time. This type of tuning is for advanced players. If you are just starting, then you should stick to the beginner or standard tunings.

Reference tuning is tuning the guitar's strings to another source, which could be a piano for example, or even another guitar. The pitch of the source is played and then it is followed. This is a good way to keep the music in tune. There are problems however. One of the reasons that this can be a problem is with the other piece you are going to tune to. If the piano is out of tune, then your guitar will also be out of tune. The other problem is that if you are new and you are still learning tuning, then you may not match things as well.

The hardest of the lot is relative tuning. This is tuning without any reference whatsoever, making it very difficult for the novice guitar player. It is very to go out of tune using this method and I do not recommend it unless you are a proficient player. Once you are a great player, then you will be able to tune well.

Finally, we come to electronic tuning. This is hands down the easiest way to tune a guitar. You can use this is you have an electronic guitar. I highly suggest, if you go through this method, to get the best electronic guitar, because it bring dividends for the long term. You plug your guitar into the tuner and play the string. A meter will tell you what you need to do to get your string in tune.