DJ Joe Jackson

One of the first things you need to learn is how to tune your guitar. Before you do anything you must make sure the strings are in tune with each other or nothing will ever sound good.

First off, lets check out what each of the parts are. 1) Beginning at the very top, is the machine head which the strings are wound around. Turning these knobs makes the associated string either tighter or slacker which will alter its pitch and determine if the notes are high or low. 2) The strings are held in place on the nuts, found between your guitar head and neck, these nuts space the strings out evenly. 3) The neck goes from nut towards the neck base, or where the neck joins the body. 4) Frets are the horizontal ridges across the neck. Pressing your fingers just behind these ridges heightens the pitch of the notes. 5) Strings are designated from one to six, with string 1 at the bottom end if you're in the guitar playing stance, and string 6 is at the top. The sounds they create range from the highest towards the lowest. 6) Each string has a corresponding letter which pertains to the various notes. 7) An open string happens when you play a string without holding it down. These open strings contain the notes E, A,D, G, B and E (the two different E's are 2 octaves apart).

The Fifth Fret Trick is the easiest way to tune your guitar without the use of additional equipment. The reason behind this name is because you use the fifth fret to check that the strings are in tune. Here's how: a) With any finger, press down on the sixth string just behind the fifth fret. Pluck string six then pluck open string 5. If they sound the same, they're in tune. b) If they sound different, keep plucking both strings and turn the machine head of the open string five until the two sounds match. c) Keep matching the sound of each string to the one below it. 5th fret string 6 = 5th open string, 5th fret string 5 = 4th open string, 5th fret string 4 = 3rd open string, 4th fret string 3 = 2nd open string (this is the only different one), 5th fret string 2 = 1st open string, d) Tune 6th string to an E on a tuning devise until the sounds match.

If your strings sound a bit low, you have to strength the string tension on your machine head. If the string sound is high, lessen the tension and repeat the process for the other five strings. It can take a few minutes to get the sound on your tuner and your sound correct, but after some practice, you'll be able to do it in no time at all.

There's a lot of different ways to tune your guitar, the choice is up to you and what equipment you have at hand. Some of these are: i) Online Guitar Tuners - usually for the more advanced, or when you want to do fancy things, such as Drop D, Open C, Open G, Open D, Open G, Half Step Down, Full Step Down, Open E or Admiral. ii) Electronic Tuners - An electronic tuner monitors the frequency of each of the six strings. The guitar tuning is adjusted until the correct reading on the tuner is given. These are especially good if you are the visual type of learner and there are plenty different types on the market. iii) Keyboard or Piano - a popular method where the strings on the guitar are tuned to six keys on the keyboard. Of course you need access to a piano. iv) Harmonics - wait a while before you try this v) Octaves - a common approach which makes use of octave intervals

Whatever gadgets you want to pick up to help you tune the guitar, you should learn the Fifth Fret Method because you never know when you might be stranded on a desert island with only your guitar for company!