Hey everyone,

Just bought a start up Fender Strat kit. Came with guitar, tuner, bag, etc. Basically everything I need to get started.

My question is about tuning. I've never tuned a guitar before and I tried to tune it, but I don't know how well I did. I plugged my guitar into my tuner and selected the string I wanted to tune on the tuner and pulled the associated string and made sure it zeroed out on the reader. I went through the other five strings in the same fashion. I'm just wanting to make sure that's what I'm supposed to be doing.

I thought that the instructional DvD I got would have had the information on it, but it didn't see it when I was looking through it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Once you have tuned all the strings, do it again. Sometimes the string tension of a properly tuned string will take another string out of tune. Until you can go through all 6 keys without making an adjustment, your guitar might not be tuned.

RK

From what you described and depending on the tuner you used it sounds like you did it right. Do it again to make sure that they stayed in tune after the first time.

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"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Blazing Saddles...

Cool deal! Thanks for the responses. I'll do it again to make sure they stayed in tune.

Hey Binxx

Welcome to the wonderful world of guitar. Please dont be afraid to ask us about starting out. I dont know anything that somebody didnt take the time to tell me. I think its a pretty safe bet to say most if not all guitarists are the same. We'll help any way we can.

All the best, take care and have fun.

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No no and no

I always check the open string and then play the same note on the 12th fret...stretch them by bending...re-check...etc...

Welcome and good luck!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

I check mine twice normally unless I'm changing strings. It might take three or four while stretching and bending a new set to get it right.

The battery in your tuner is probably going to last a long, long, time. When you start getting non-sensical read-outs, remember to check the battery.

Don't forget that there are tuning notes on the web as well.

I am truly "old school", (and old everything else for that matter ), and I don't believe you are a musician until you can tune your guitar with a tuning fork. The standard is aN A-440 fork.

With an A fork, you hit the fork against your knee. Don't hit it on a table edge or some other hard object. I am told you will alter the pitch over time if you do. Put the fork between your front teeth. You will here the note in your head quite clearly.

Now hit the harmonic at the tweleth fret on the 5th string. Listen to the "waves". They slow down as you get closer to being in tune. That is just for the A string.

My son needs the computer, so I have to sign off. You still need to learn how to tune the other strings now that you have the A nailed down to pitch. Learning this was not easy for me. It may take a while for you to learn as well.

Peace.

Hi Binxx00, and welcome to the forum! Welcome also to the wonderfully wild and wooly world of guitar. I'm still a relative newcomer, and--even though I'm still far from good--Im having a blast. I'm sure you will too.

In addition to the advice some of the folks have already given you, make sure to check out the Fender Online Guitar Tuner. It's a brand-new feature, and it's pretty cool.

As nikininja says, please feel free to ask any question, no matter how silly it may seem. You will find lots of supportive, helpful people here who will give you good answers.

Now go crank that sucker up and have fun!

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

Just remember when you are tuned to start to bend every string a bit one at a time as this will stretch them out so they will hold there tuning. Also go from making your strings slack because if you tighten first and past pitch you will wind up busting your string.And the most important as stratoBobster stated learn to tune your guitar by ear without a tuner. The electric is fine for now and a lot of guys on here will tell you there were no electric tuners back in the day so after you get comfortable learn by ear. I will be the first to admit that my tuner has made my ear lazy, and I cant tune as fast without one like when I was younger. Then again I probably dont hear as well.