Allow the microphone, play a string, and the needle finds it. Works on a phone. Nothing to install, no account.

How I tune before a set

Thirty seconds, and it survives a loud room. Tune E, A and D with 12th-fret harmonics — a harmonic has no attack transient, so the pitch is stable and the tuner is not chasing your pick. Switch to fretted notes for G and B, because that is where the major third actually gets set.

Then check it musically instead of visually: play a Cmaj7 shell — C, E, B — and listen for beating between the E and the B string. Then an F and A together against a D7, the 3 and the 7, which is where B-string drift shows up first.

One small thing that costs people a lot: if your B string is even slightly sharp, every drop-2 major-7 voicing you play will shimmer in a way that sounds like bad technique and is not. Set the B honestly and half your comping problems go quiet.

Alternate tunings

Alternate tunings, low string first
Tuning	6th → 1st	Frequencies (Hz)	Where it earns its place
Standard	E A D G B E	82.41 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63	Everything, unless you have a reason
E♭ / half-step down	E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭	77.78 · 103.83 · 138.59 · 185.00 · 233.08 · 311.13	Horn keys, singers, a darker feel — two names, one tuning
Drop D	D A D G B E	73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 329.63	Solo-guitar intros and pedal tones under a melody
Open G	D G D G B D	73.42 · 98.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 246.94 · 293.66	Slide, and blues in G without barring
Open D	D A D F♯ A D	73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 185.00 · 220.00 · 293.66	Slide, and modal vamps that ring
DADGAD	D A D G A D	73.42 · 110.00 · 146.83 · 196.00 · 220.00 · 293.66	Modal vamps — pairs well with a sustained drone

Common questions

Why does my guitar sound out of tune when I press down?

Open strings in tune but fretted notes sharp means the problem is setup, not tuning — usually intonation or a binding nut. Check the 12th-fret harmonic against the fretted 12th; if they disagree, the saddle needs to move.

Should I tune up or down to pitch?

Always up. Come at the note from below so the gears and the nut settle under tension and stay put. Tune down past it first if you overshoot.

Why is the G string so hard to keep in tune?

It usually binds in the nut slot — the ping you hear when it suddenly jumps is the string releasing. A touch of pencil graphite in the slot works wonders.

How often should I tune?

Every time you pick the guitar up, and again when the room changes. Wood and strings move with temperature and your hands — thirty seconds of tuning is cheaper than an hour of sounding wrong.

What's the difference between tuning and intonation?

Tuning sets the open strings; intonation makes the fretted notes true up the neck. A tuner fixes the first. The second lives at the saddle — and no tuner can fix it for you.

Does temperature affect tuning?

Massively. Stage lights, air conditioning, a cold car boot — let the guitar acclimate for a few minutes, then tune. Tuning a cold guitar is signing a contract it won't keep.

Free Online Guitar Tuner

Tune your guitar in three steps.

Allow the microphone

Play a string

Tune to the centre