Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

lex666

lex666

New member
I feel like a dork sometimes.

I go into a guitar shop to try an axe and I can immediately tell that its out of tune. Problem is, I need to shuffle over to the tuner section to tune up before I play. Pretty lame, especially if you're trying out multiple guitars.

I've become so dependent on using a tuner, I keep one with me just about everywhere I go.

I can immediately tell when something is out of tune or doesn't sound right. But I can't tune up without a tuner to save my life.

Anyone else have this problem? Any ideas or suggestions on how to overcome this?
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I can tune up just fine... but I still use my snark more often than not just because it's quick and I know it's probably a little more precise.

The only thing you can really do is tune the guitar with a tuner... listen to the correct open strings and then detune them. Try to get it back in tune. Keep practicing....
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I can easily bring all the strings in tune with each other, either by listening to the strings or feeling the vibrations in the neck.
However, I don't have perfect-pitch so I have no clue how close I am to the real A440. I know when I'm reasonably close by force of habit but it's not like I'm tuning to a tuner...ever.

Everybody can do it, just practice and listening...
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

lex, I'm the same way.

There's lots of tuner apps for iPhone. Very helpful when I'm hanging around the guitar store!
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I have never owned a guitar tuner.

I have been playing for 17 years and played 200+ gigs with 5 different bands.

I am hyper sensitive to and hyper vigilant about being in tune.

1) until about 2003, I only played one guitar, that never went out of tune, ever.

2) since then, I just tune on the fly, to the band. If I play a chord and I hear that my g is flat, I tune it up.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I have the Polytune app on my phone, so I can usually tune the E string and go by ear from there in a pinch. I have the Snark for around the house now.

In the past I used to play the opening riff to Back in Black in my head as a reference, and I could the E string pretty close. Usually under a half step off.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I often just tune using harmonics (5th fret harmonic matches the 7th fret harmonic on the previous string, except with the B string). Hit both harmonics and tune until the "beats" stop.

Of course, this will only get your guitar tuned relative to itself.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

Yes. I did it for years and years and years.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

Yes. Tuner, by reference with another instrument, with a tuning fork, etc.

IMO, you always need a backup plan. When your tuner goes on stage, what next?
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

ImmortalSix said:
2) since then, I just tune on the fly, to the band. If I play a chord and I hear that my g is flat, I tune it up.
Click to expand...

I do this a lot. A locking bridge AND tuners still can't stop that dang string from losing tune.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I don't know how relevant this is now, but did you guys know that the dialtone on North American landline phones are compound tones of A and F? You can tune-up that way as well.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I dont even use a tuner with my band, the other guys use theirs and I just get one of them to hit an E string on their bass or guitar and tune from there.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

carry a pitch fork everywhere you go. Listen to a lot. Also, use it to tune your axe when you are in peace and quiet at home. Sooner or later the sound of A440 will permeate your brain.
Once you have it, test yourself often by singing A440 in your head then testing it against your pitch fork. The more you do it, the more confident you will get and the more you will be able to trust yourself in noisy, crowded situations like guitar shops. You will be able to hear A400 anytime you like and can then tune your axe by using whatever method you know best.
I like the harmonics method best, especially as A440 is the same note as the 12th fret (or 12th fret harmonic) on the A string.
Tuners are still totally useful to have at gigs where there is often music and noise so loud that you cant tune up properly before playing, but being able to recall A440 anytime is a really useful skill. Its not using perfect pitch, its memory, but it is definitely reliable.
 
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Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I can tune it pretty closely. Sometimes it's easier than others for some reason. It's never to true A440 unless I have a tuner though. If the E sounds close enough to E to me then I just tune the guitar to that, but if it isn't I'll get it as close as I can hear it to the note and go from that.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

If you have your phone, there's tuner apps that are free, or if yours does a dial tone sound, you can tune the g string and go from there.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

Last time I strung up my guitar I tuned up off the top of my head with no reference, I just managed to 'feel' the high e and as I tuned it up I 'knew' when it was right. the rest of the guitar I tuned up using harmonics. I learned how to 'feel' the high e from years of doodling on my first classical guitar and not owning a tuner.

There's something about how the 2 E's sound together and the pitch of the high e that I have trouble forgetting, and they manage to bring the rest of the strings together in a fool proof way. Makes me love the fact that I play guitar. I also cringe when I hear other players who never notice that they're out of tune, I don't know how people can be so complacent with dissonance.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

To the OP: try and "remember" what the top and bottom E strings sound like. Hear it in your head BEFORE you try and tune it.

That's the easiest way to start ear-training on a guitar, and once you "remember" the top and bottom E, you'll start "remembering" the other strings.

No need for perfect pitch, especially in a guitar shop.
 
Re: Just wondering... can you tune your guitar without a tuner?

I can get close enough, but the intonation won't be right unless someone gives me a good note first, so I can tune one of my strings to it.
 
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