Basic Tuning
Another way to tune is to use harmonics. Harmonics are generated when a finger is placed lightly on a string and the string is plucked. Harmonics are located all over the guitar, but more prominently above certain frets. To play a harmonic, you must place your finger on a string at a certain fret, and then pluck the string without actually pushing the string into contact with the fretboard. This produces a chiming sound, softer than a regularly plucked string. You can tune your guitar by comparing the harmonics of the different strings. The fifth fret harmonic on the low E string is the same as the seventh fret harmonic on the A string. The same relationship applies to A and D, and to D and G. There is no really reliable harmonic between the G and B strings, so you have to revert back to the standard method of tuning, but the fifth fret harmonic of the B string and the seventh of the high E are the same, just like the other strings.
When you tune, with harmonics or otherwise, the key is to listen to the overtones of the notes. If the two strings are not in tune, their overtones will conflict and cause a wobbly sound. If they are perfectly in tune, there will be no difference at all between the sounds of the two strings—their overtones will be in perfect unison.
So now we should all be in tune, right? E, A, D, G, B, E, low to high. Don’t get discouraged of you have a hard time tuning the guitar by ear. It is something that will come with practice and a developed ear. Just be patient, and it will come.
But for now, let’s learn a few simple chords to get us started. Chords are just combinations of single notes that sound good together. Music is like language. The notes are like letters, and the chords are like words. The letters sound fine by themselves, but they sound even better when they are combined to make words. Dig?
Open chords are the foundation for solid rhythm guitar skills. An open chord is a chord that has an open string or strings in it. Three of the most common and useful open chords are G, C, and D. (These chords are shown in tablature, or tab. The bottom line is the low E string, and the numbers represent the frets that
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