Tuning for acoustic guitar playing

A steel-string acoustic guitar is descended from the classical guitar but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. The standard tuning for an acoustic guitar is E-A-D-G-B-E although many players, particularly fingerpickers, use alternate tunings such as "open G" (D-G-D-G-B-D), "open D tuning" (D-A-D-F#-A-D), or "drop D" (D-A-D-G-B-E). The 12-string guitar is a variation on the acoustic guitar. It has an added doubling string for each of the traditional six strings. This guitar was popularized by guitar players like Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, and Leo Kottke. Until the 1960s, the main forms of music played on the flattop steel-string guitar included acoustic blues, country, bluegrass, folk, and some styles of rock. The idea of playing solo steel-string guitar in a concert setting was begun by performers like Davey Graham and John Fahey in the early 1960s, who used country blues fingerpicking techniques to compose original compositions with structures similar to classical music. Robbie Basho added elements of Indian classical music and Leo Kottke made the first solo steel string guitar "hit" record. For more info on acoustic guitars and their players see youtube acoustic guitar playing

Guitar Tuning

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_DuClos]James DuClos

What is tuning?

The most important part to playing music is making sure your guitar is in tune. If your guitar is out of tune, you might as well not play. What is tuning? Tuning is the notes that are produced by the strings when they are played open. When a guitar is in standard tuning, the strings should make the notes E, A, D, G, B, E when open. The strings are numbered from smallest to biggest 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The biggest string is E and the smallest is E as well, sometime the 1st string is signified as a lowercase E, or 'e.'

Tuning Your Guitar

Tuning by ear is possible, but the best way to tune is by using an electronic tuner. Since tones move smoothly between one another and don't click into place the only way to make sure that your guitar is perfectly in tune. An E note can be flat and still be an E, only a tuner knows if it is sharp of flat.

Buying a electronic tuner when you first start playing is a must. Especially during the first few months of playing you may not be able to tell if your guitar is out of tune. This can be few dangerous to your ear because you will be learning chords and hearing them out of tune. This can potentially train your ear to think that a G chord sounds like an out of tune guitar. Just make sure to buy a tuner and tune before you practice, then strum the strings open or play a chord you know so you can learn what they sounds like in tune.

Making those first... noises...

When you first plug in make sure the volume on your guitar is up and your amp is turned on and up to about 20% volume. Pluck the strings with your pick or your fingernails. Either play the strings open or push your finger down on top of one between two of the metal frets to play a fretted note.

Plucking

If you're using a pick, hold it between your thumb and one side of your index finger. This is much like holding a pencil with your index finger. If you are using your fingers, there are many ways to pluck the strings. You can brush them with your thumb, flick with your fingers, or use your fingernails as a pick.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_DuClos http://EzineArticles.com/?Guitar-Tuning&id=903976

Four Basic Acoustic Guitar Tuning Guides for Beginners

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hugo]Bob Hugo

Acoustic guitar tuning method is similar to the method use in electric guitar tuning and standard guitar tuning. Guitar tuning is the skill that each of the guitar player need to know and master. Without proper tuning, you won’t be able to get the perfect tone and sound while playing guitar especially getting the right chord and lead.

Before you start, one important rule is to first identify which is the string that being called or named "1st. String" in guitar term. The 1st. string is referring to the smallest string located at the lowest position of the guitar’s neck. Once you knew which the 1st string is, identifying the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th string will be very easy. The 2nd string is the string located above the 1st string. Same arrangement applies to the 3rd to 6th string.

The acoustic guitar strings that being tuned up to the Standard Acoustic Guitar Tuning will have the following sound for each string:

1st. string, representing "E" note or the "Mi (high)" sound;

2nd. string, representing "B" note or the "Ti" sound;

3rd. string, representing "G" note or the "Sol" sound;

4th. string, representing "D" note or the "Re" sound;

5th. string, representing "A" note or the "La" sound;

6th. string, representing "E" note or the "Mi (low)" sound

There are several acoustic guitar tuning methods use which ranging from the expensive (normally using special electronic equipment) to the cheapest or free service from the internet (online guitar tuner).

Listed below are 4 popular acoustic guitar tuning methods that you could consider:

(1) Electronic Guitar Tuner - This is the simplest but most expensive method of the acoustic guitar tuning method. To use this method, you need to buy the equipment called "Electronic Guitar Tuner" which is not cheap. Using it of course very simple. You're using your eyes instead if ears to tune the guitar using this tool. What you need to do is just tune and plucks the string that you are tuning until its match the indicator shown on the electronic guitar tuner.

(2) Online Guitar Tuner - This method has become more and more popular now days. This is because more and more website offer free online acoustic guitar tuning service. If you plan to buy online guitar lesson software, make sure that the package comes with online guitar tuner or guitar tuning software that you can install in your computer. This method is not as easy as using electronic guitar tuner but it is not that hard either. What you need to do is to tune the guitar string until its match the sound generated from the tuner program for each string that you work on.

(3) Guitar Pitch Pipe - Guitar pitch pipe is another acoustic guitar tuning method that you could use. Guitar pitch pipe is the pipe that will produce specific sound or pitch depending on which pipe you blow. You can get the guitar pitch pipe from any music store. There are six holes on the pitch pipe that will produce tone when blow. The guitar string is then tuned to this tone. For user reference, each hole is marked with alphabet A - D - G - B - E representing each guitar string.

(4) Piano or Keyboard - If you have a piano or electric keyboard, this is another method that you can use as the acoustic guitar tuner. This method is similar to online guitar tuner and guitar pitch pipe above. The only different is you are using piano or keyboard to produce tone. The guitar string is then tuned to this tone. Similar to guitar pitch pipe, the note that you need to produce from the piano or keyboard are A - D - G - B - E.

All these methods are the standard acoustic guitar tuning method use by newbies and experience guitar players. In fact, this is a standard guitar tuning method that can be for both acoustic and electric guitars. Which method to use is depending on individual budget and skill level. What important as guitar player is to keep practicing. One day you might not need any equipment to tune your acoustic guitar.

Looking for online guitar lesson software but don’t know how to choose? Visit [http://www.ultimatehotzone.com/ultimate-guitar-review]Ultimate Guitar Review for a fair & honest review.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hugo http://EzineArticles.com/?Four-Basic-Acoustic-Guitar-Tuning-Guides-for-Beginners&id=564089

Guitar tuning tips

Being wooden, guitars have a bit of 'give' to their structure, and as you tune up and vary the tension on one string, you are at the same time changing the tension on the other strings, changing their tuning. It is therefore a good idea to make several passes through the six strings, tuning each just approximately on the first couple of passes, and then becoming more detailed and exact on later passes. This applies whether you are using an electronic guitar tuner or not.
Nylon strings for classical guitars take longer to stretch and settle into tune.
If you've just restrung your guitar, grab the middle of each string (around the 12th fret) and give it a few good hard yanks (not too hard), straight up and away from the guitar. Better to stretch them by hand right away than to have them stretch (and drop in pitch) gradually over days, which is what new strings do.
Old guitar strings get flattened where they contact the fret wire and become dull sounding and difficult to keep in tune. That's when you really need to change them.
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/onlinetuner.html