Guides

How to Tune a Guitar by Ear

Tune a guitar without a tuner using the 5th-fret method, harmonics, and beats — and verify the result with a chromatic tuner.

Reading a Chromatic Tuner: What Cents Mean

What a cent is, why the needle is not a Hz readout, and how to use the ±5-cent "Tuned" band to get in tune faster.

Standard Tuning Reference

Standard tuning notes and frequencies for guitar, ukulele, and Bb trumpet, and how to use them with a chromatic tuner.

Drop D Tuning: How and Why

How to get into Drop D with a chromatic tuner — only the low E moves, from E2 down to D2 — and what the tuning is for.

DADGAD Tuning: The Dsus4 Wash

How to tune to DADGAD with a chromatic tuner — three strings down a whole step — and why Celtic and fingerstyle players love it.

Open G and Open D Tuning

How to tune to Open G (DGDGBD) and Open D (DADF#AD) with a chromatic tuner, and what slide and blues players do with them.

Metronome Basics: BPM, Time Signatures, and Tap Tempo

What BPM measures, how time signatures work, and how to practice with a metronome — including tap tempo and slow practice.

Metronome Duel: Rules and Strategy

How Metronome Duel works — tap and guess modes, the scoring and multiplier system — plus strategy for winning matches.