Tuning the Guitar Using a Tuning Fork

The advent of tempered (tuned, with frets) instruments has brought a new light to stringed instruments tuning. The musician needs one note that he can use as the starting point of the tuning process. Typically, the source of the base note is a tuning pipe or the most traditional system of them all, the tuning fork. 

Orchestras tune using the first violin pitch as a reference. The first violin in turn uses the Tuning Fork (image below) as a starting tuning point. If an orchestra had to depend on each musician relative perception of tune -relative pitch- the result would be total disaster.

If the guitarist has a base or reference note to start with, he will be able to tune the remaining strings. After having gone through the tuning a number of times, the guitarist will notice that his brain has learned, to a certain degree, the sound of each guitar string. What is usually referred to as "perfect pitch" is not as much an innate talent but a learned skill. Just like most other skills it requires a certain degree of dedication and perseverance. Read all about tuning the guitar here →