5th string equals low E? what's wrong?

Emboss

If you're a newbie, give up on trying to tune one string to another. You have an electronic tuner, just tune one string at a time to that -

from high to low -
e
b
g
d
a
e

That will be MUCH easier for the time being.

Matt

It seems to me that your guitar is not in tune.

This is the standard tuning :

E (high E) > thinner string
B
G
D
A
E (low E) > thicker string

It seems to me that your guitar is not in tune.

This is the standard tuning :

E (high E) > thinner string
B
G
D
A
E (low E) > thicker string

I first tuned my guitar just wth a tuner, for a LOOOONG time until I realized that my ears don't do that well when tuning string to string.

So START NOW!

Try to tune one string to another as close as you can and then check back with a tuner. listen to the wrong tuning whilst keeping in mind what was wrong. was it too high or too low? then try again.
You can always correct with the tuner in the end but if you keep practicing from day one you really won't need a tuner anymore

just my experience

i'm just afraid the strings will snap if i turn it anymore...they already seem really wound up. i guess in other words... can an open 5th string potentially sound like a low E? and the 4th an A? (i'm just wondering if there's something wrong with my guitar and i should return it.) thanks for all the help.

edwin

p.s. Is there a search for this forum?

i just realized how confusing my first question was. i'm not tuning string to string. i'm tuning each string individually with an electronic tuner and the "default" tune for each is "one string down" - 1st string is an open B (when it should be 2nd string), 2nd string is an open G (3rd string), and so on. i don't have a high E string. and my last string is closest to G#2. seems like it bumped off the high E string and put a thicker string in last, moving every string down one step.

thanks,

edwin

It sounds to me like you are tuning to the correct note (albeit one string awry), but the wrong octave. Guitar tuners only recognise E, A, D, G and B - they do NOT recognise which octave the notes are in!

Most electronic tuners have a tone generator (generally 440Hz). This is the pitch that should be found at the 5th fret of the high E string. Start the tone generator and check that the 5th fret of the high E sounds as close to the generated tone as possible. Now switch off the tone and tune the high E string on the tuner.
Next step is to tune the B string, 5th fret to the high E - it doesn't have to be perfect, just close. Now tune the B string using the tuner.

Tune the G string, 4th fret to the B string and then get it right with the tuner.

The other strings can all be rough tuned at the 5th fret to the next higher string.

Lets think this out. What kind of tuner is it? Does it just tell you what the string is tuned to? or is it one that makes you select which string you are tuning. Remember the bottom string (thinnest) is number 1. Does the tuner have a choice between Chromatic and Guitar? If so start with Guitar since that will normally be the easiest way to tune standard tuning.

It sounds like you just tuned each string one step down but I hesitate to just say try tuning up (tighter) since you may actually be past tune some how.

Lets just focus on one string which is the hardest to break. The low E (the thickest). Loosen that string until it is just about flopping around. Now slowly tighten the string a little at a time watching the tuner until it gets to E or in tune. It should only find E once unless you are real tight so be careful and go real slow so you don't accidentally pass E.

thanks for taking the time to reply. I use a pocketpc chromatic tuner program. I checked to see if the tuner was working by referencing this file. http://guitar.about.com/library/media/audio/tuning.mp3 It analyzed the sound at the correct "pitch?" (i'm new to the language of music) Several other tuner programs gave the same results and at guitar settings.

the tuner shows that the 5th string is at 82hz, the 4th at 110hz so think it's at the proper octave.

greybeard: my 5th fret of my 1st string is at high E right now. do you mean to customize the A=440hz of the tuner to whatever that 5th fret is? my 10th fret is A at 437hz

Nils: all the strings are already tight. if i press the strings right above the nut, they barely move. I followed your instructions on the 6th string, loosening and then tightening up slowly and i can't find E on my tuner. the highest i got it up to was 104 hz G#2, still sounds a lot lower than low E.

edwin

Try downloading and tuning your guitar with This tuner and see if you get the same thing as you do on your pocket PC.

Is the guitar strung correctly? Do you have the correct strings in the correct peg? If so, then tune it up. Youmay even want to pay a guitar teacher for one lesson to show you basic guitar maintenance like re stringing and tuning up. Maybe even throw in a few chords for free. 8)

No. Tune the open high E to E. The 5th fret of the high E should show 440Hz (Concert A).
The open A (5th string) should be tuned to 110Hz. The low E should be tuned to 82Hz.

You're simply tuning the right pitch on the wrong string.

Tune all of your strings down one turn of the tuning peg. Then tune the low E string to 82 Hz and the A string to 110HZ.

Concentrate on getting those 2 strings tuned to those pitches and don't attempt anything else until they are correct.

When (and only when) they are correct, tune the open D string to the same pitch as the 5th fret of the A string. Check that the 4th string shows the note "D" on your chromatic tuner (ca 146.8Hz).
The G string should register 196Hz.
The B string should register ca. 246.9Hz and the high E should register ca 329.6Hz.

Your strings are all too low period.
I would take it to a guitar shop and have them tune it and make sure you watch and see what they do. Just to tune your guitar shouldn't cost much.
I would be surprised if it was more than about 5 bucks.

I would just go out and buy a electronic tuner at the music store you will most likely have better results with that, also is the guitar a acoustic non electric (no plug) if so those will be harder to tune any noise can interfere with it, go to a room that is very enclosed and quiet if you have a non electric guitar. Good Luck.