Tuning Lessons
Our complete list of lessons, articles and resources regarding tunings. Something for both the beginner and exprerinced player alike.
Open Tuning Part I - Look, Ma, No Hands!
By David Hodge
When playing the guitar there are only three types of tuning that can be used. They are standard tuning, open tuning and alternate tuning. This article is the first of two parts by David Hodge about the use of open tuning.
Open Tuning Part II - Here There Be Monsters
By David Hodge
This article is the second part of David Hodge's look at open tunings and deals more with the applications of them. See them in action and play along. But beware of monsters and don't forget to use a map.
On The Tuning Awry
By David Hodge
DADGAD! What is that? No, it's not John Wayne swearing. It is what we guitarists call an altered tuning. David Hodge explains in his first of three articles dealing with non-standard tunings.
Cover Story
By David Hodge
This lesson looks at how to use alternate tuning as a tool for arranging imaginative versions of other people's songs and coming up with wild interpretations of old familiar tunes.
Alternate Writing Styles
By David Hodge
Lots of fun this week - a neat way of using alternate tunings, a really, really cool alternate tuning to use, the surprising return of the C major scale and an original song!
Tuning A Floyd Rose - (or other similar floating bridge)
By A-J Charron
Once you know how to tune a floating bridge you will realize it's a very simple process. I'll start off by explaining how to do it from scratch, but if you take good care of your guitar, you won't need to go through all these steps the next time.
How to Tune a Guitar
By Paul Hackett
Tuning a guitar is the single most important concept for a beginning guitarist to learn. At the same time it is often their first stumbling block. If your guitar is not in tune, you will never sound good. Rather than having your friends tune your guitar for you all the time you should learn how to do it for yourself. This lesson contains instructions for a beginner to tune a 6 string guitar to standard tuning.
Drop C Tuning
By Evan Duffey
Evan may be young but he does get his point across. Here's a lesson that introduces Drop C tuning and even includes a riff from Toxicity by System of a Down.
The first time ever I tuned my axe
By Graham Merry
In response to the many people who've written with questions on how to tune the guitar, Graham's written this wonderful step-by-step process for those of you who are unfamiliar with how to tune with a tuner.
Open C Tuning
By Benjamin Lucas
Another new Guitar Noise writer makes his debut with this introduction to the wonders of open C tuning.
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