"Tuning", not "Tuneing".
First things first, if you have not got an electric tuner, get one today from just £12. They have built in microphones for tuning acoustic guitars.
Note; People sell their 'used' tuners on ebay because they're crap.
Why so vital? You could be playing your favourite song to the best of your skill and in perfect timing to a drummer, but if your guitar is just slightly out of tune then it will sound amateur. If it is way out of tune and you don't know how to resolve it or don't even know it then you may as well give up now.
If you tune up every time you play then your strings will not go far out of tune so it will be a very quick and simple process and fine tuning of the odd string could even be done 'by ear' on the spot.
The First Mistake
Golden rule; as you play a string the tuner will only hear the note coming in, guess the string and tell you whether the note is a bit high or low. But it hasn't got eyes, if your 'B' string is very low then the tuner may pick up an 'A' note being played instead and think you are tuning your 'A' string. This can happen with all strings.
When the tuner hears the note it will show the letter and number of the string it has detected- make sure it matches the string you have played;
Fat-to-thin: E-A-D-G-B-E ( 6-5-4-3-2-1 )
Online & Software Tuners?
I have only just heard of these and knowing how quirky the tuning process is I am very, very dubious. At the risk of sounding too old skool I would say don't play virtual games, just spend that £10-£20 or $ and get the tried-and-tested real ones.
A new invention by guitar-accessories company Planet Waves; the Strobe On String tuner.
I have not used an SOS yet so I can't put any personal recommendation to is but this looks effective at it's purpose; the best use of this kind of tuner is to replace the acoustic guitarist's reliance on microphone tuners which can struggle in noisy surroundings.
By the way; ← That's Not Me!
You can see the effect of this in front of the TV, (not flat screens) this is cool:
TV on, one eye shut, stand a guitar on your lap with the fat E string between your eye and the screen
Play the string once and watch the wobbles
Usually playing at the 3rd Fret (G) is closest in phase to a CRT TV screen's pulses
You will see on my Tablature list that sometimes, especially American bands for some reason, the guitars have all of their strings tuned 1 semitone 'Flat' (one fret note low) to get more flexible and floppier string sounds.
Many modern guitar tuners have a switch for this which when selcted aims the tuning target to flat. If your guitar has a whammy bar then you will have to go through the re-tune 2 or 3 times before the notes stop drifting.
In my lessons I use the software 'Sound Forge' to raise a song's pitch without changing the speed so that we can play to the song without going through the comotion of flat tuning all 6 strings.
String Weight
If you play flat often you should fit a minimum of '9 Gauge' strings and may want to get a set of heavier strings such as 10 Gauge. 'Super Slinky' 8 gauge will be hanging too loose and cause rattling.
A very common string tuning with fast metal, and also used in other styles. What happens is the low E- that’s The Low Note is tuned down 2 semitones (2 fret-notes) to D. To do this simply; use the tuning peg to lower the note until your tuner recognises it as a D. To do this 'by ear';
Play your E and regular D string one-after-one
Drop tune the E until it sounds like D's fat big brother
When you are close to tuning there will be a wobbling sound between the clashing notes
As the high D / low D phases meet, the wobble slows to flat____________
It is best to take a string a bit lower, give it a little tug to pull any slack through and tune upwards. This way sounds like climbing the stairs.
Now your 3 low strings are automatically a powerchord when played open or over the same fret. Therefore the chord can now be moved around with just one finger flattened over all three strings; now D-A-D.
Because the powerchord is formed with just one finger not 3, rapid changing is much easier as you can change finger to finger for changes from chord to chord instead of moving your entire forearm. Example: Deftones My Own Summer.
Another use for 'Drop D' tuning is that because the three open low strings let you play a D powerchord without a single finger, you can set off the chord with your first hit, let it ring on and play another riff/melody on the higher strings. Use this to make playing around with D scales sound fuller. Similar example: Nirvana All Apologies.
String Weight
If you play a lot of music in D then you will need a set of 'Hybrid' strings such as 9-46 as these are tailored with an extra heavy E (46 instead of 42). This won't go as loose when you tune it down.
Drop D, Flat: The recommended hybrid set for D flat tuning is 10-52. I use this weight all the time, not so bendy but you just know when you've made contact!
C tuning is the same principle as D, but every string is then taken down by another 2 semitones.
This makes: C-G-C-F-A-D
This is used by Dark Metal bands with masses of overdrive. The deep and rumbly strings sound like your guitar is falling apart from the power.
Regular guitar tuners do not recognise many of the notes involved in ‘Drop C’, so if you use C tuning or half step (flat) regulary then you will need to buy what is known as a Chromatic tuner. These pick up on every note of the scale rather than just those associated with standard E tuning. The BOSS TU-80 is the one I've used for years now and is very stable.
The alternative way to tune to C is to play the strings on the second fret but tune them as if they were open. All are then 2 semitones lower when they are open.
String Weight
10-52 Hybrid guage will suffice, but for regular play and shows make sure you fit super fat strings like 11-58 weight, as a regular 9 set will go so loose they sound like rattly rubber bands! But be careful, these will be tight as a noose in natural E and may even damage cheap guitars.
