Guides & Resources
Practical tips and guides to help you tune faster, play better, and get the most out of your practice time.
How to Read Guitar Tabs: Complete Beginner's Guide
Learn how to read guitar tabs from zero: the six string lines, fret numbers, chord stacks, and every common symbol (h, p, /, b, ~, x, PM), plus rhythm conventions, two classic first riffs, and practice exercises.
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12-String Guitar Tuning: Standard, Octaves, and Tips
Standard 12-string guitar tuning explained course by course, with a full pitch chart, a step-by-step tuning method, and the tension tips that keep your neck and strings alive.
Guitar Chord Progressions: The Complete Guide with Examples
Learn how guitar chord progressions work, from the diatonic chords of every major key to the five progressions behind thousands of songs, with charts, examples, and practice exercises.
Guitar Fretboard Notes: Learn Every Note on the Neck
Learn all the guitar fretboard notes with per-string charts, natural-note landmarks on the E and A strings, movable octave shapes, and three short drills that make the neck readable in weeks, not years.
Slide Guitar for Beginners: Open Tunings, Technique, and First Licks
Learn slide guitar for beginners the practical way: pick the right slide, place it over the fret wire, tune to Open G or Open D, and play your first I-IV-V licks with a metronome.
Ukulele Strumming Patterns: Beginner to Intermediate Guide
Four ukulele strumming patterns written out slot by slot on the 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & count grid (two for beginners, two intermediate), plus the hand technique, metronome plan, and exercises that make them sound like music instead of math.
Barre Chords for Guitar: Master F, B, and Movable Shapes
Learn how to play barre chords step by step: the F and B shapes, minor versions, the technique tweaks that stop the buzzing, and a daily drill that builds real endurance.
Bass Scales for Beginners: Major, Minor, and Pentatonic Patterns
Learn the three bass scales every beginner needs (major, natural minor, and pentatonic) with tab for standard 4-string bass, fingering rules, and a metronome practice plan.
Guitar Capo Chart: Play Any Song in Any Key
A complete guitar capo chart covering all 12 keys, with the easiest chord shapes for every key, placement tips, and a transposition exercise to make it stick.
How to Restring a Guitar: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to restring a guitar the right way, step by step. Covers steel-string acoustics, electrics (including tremolo bridges), and classical nylon tie-block knots, plus string gauge picks and the mistakes that cause tuning problems.
Ukulele Chords for Beginners: 12 Easy GCEA Shapes
Learn 12 easy ukulele chords in standard GCEA tuning with finger-number diagrams, clean-chord tests, simple progressions, and a focused 10-minute practice routine.
U-Bass Tuning (E A D G): Notes, Hz & Tuner
Tune a four-string U-Bass to E1 A1 D2 G2. Get exact frequencies, mic and pickup tips, polyurethane-string fixes, and the correct bass tuner preset.
6-String Bass Tuning: B E A D G C Notes & Hz
Standard 6-string bass tuning is B0 E1 A1 D2 G2 C3. Get exact frequencies, tuning checks, string guidance, setup fixes, and the right tuner preset.
Open Ukulele Tunings: C, D, G & A Compared
Compare four open ukulele tunings by notes, chord, string movement, range, and setup. Then open the matching C, D, G, or A tuner preset.
Drop C# Tuning Guide: Notes, Chords & Setup
Tune a six-string guitar to C# G# C# F# A# D#. Get exact frequencies, Drop Db aliases, power-chord positions, string guidance, and setup fixes.
C Standard Tuning
C standard tuning for guitar (C F Bb Eb G C) from a producer who tracks bands living in it — exact notes and frequencies, how it differs from drop C, the string gauges that make it work, and the capo trick nobody mentions.
Guitar Tuning Hz
Standard guitar targets are 82.41, 110.00, 146.83, 196.00, 246.94, and 329.63 Hz at A4=440; use cents for fine tuning.
6 String Ukulele Tuning
Identify a four-course liliu or six-course guitalele first, then tune the correct octaves without snapping a doubled C or A string.
Standard Tuning for 7 String Guitar
Use B E A D G B E, set the correct octaves, choose a low-B gauge by tension, and avoid confusing seven-string standard with six-string B standard.
Open A Guitar Tuning
Tune to E A E A C# E, avoid the 26% tension jump on three strings, and choose the safer Open G plus capo method when it fits.
Guitar Strumming Patterns
Five guitar strumming patterns that cover most songs, written out slot by slot with counts, song pairings, and the practice method that makes them automatic. Includes a 3/4 waltz pattern, accent work, and a metronome plan.
5-String Bass Tuning: B E A D G & Low-B Setup
Tune a 5-string bass to B0 E1 A1 D2 G2, then diagnose a weak low B with the correct string, relief, action, intonation, and pickup checks.
Ukulele low G tuning: what it is, how to tune, and why it sounds bigger
Low G tuning replaces the high re-entrant G with a lower G string for more range and fuller fingerpicking. Learn to tune low G with our online ukulele tuner and what changes in sound and technique.
Double Drop D Tuning
Double Drop D (D A D G B D) explained by a fingerstyle player who gigs in it. How to get there in two peg turns, chords that are verified note by note, the songs that made the tuning famous, and how it differs from Drop D and Open D.
D Standard Tuning
D standard tuning drops all six strings a whole step to D G C F A D. Learn how to tune down, which string gauges keep it tight, and the songs that use it.
Online Tuner vs Clip-On Tuner: Which One Should You Use (and When to Buy One)?
A practical, musician-first comparison of online tuners vs clip-on tuners: accuracy, noisy rooms, live gigs, acoustic vs electric, and how to choose the best option for your situation.
Open D Tuning Guide (D A D F# A D) + Free Online Tuner
Open D tuning gives you a full D major chord when you strum open strings. Learn how to tune to D A D F# A D, play easy barre shapes, and use TuneMode’s Open D preset to stay locked in.
BEAD Bass Tuning: How to Tune a 4-String Bass to BEAD
Learn how BEAD bass tuning works, how to tune a 4-string bass from EADG to BEAD, which strings to use, and what setup changes may be required.
Drop C Tuning Guide (C G C F A D) + Free Online Drop C Tuner
Tune to Drop C (C G C F A D) without getting lost: the easiest tuning path, chord shapes that work fast, and fixes for buzz and floppy strings.
Online Guitar Tuner Not Working? (Mic Fixes for iPhone, Chrome & Safari)
If an online tuner can’t “hear” your guitar, it’s usually mic permissions, the wrong input, or too much noise. Use this fast checklist to get TuneMode listening again.
Alternate Guitar Tunings
Alternate guitar tunings from drop D to DADGAD to open G: a note-by-note chart, how to tune to each one free online, and the songs that made them famous.
Drop D sounds muddy? 7 fixes before you blame your guitar
If Drop D feels floppy, muddy, or out of tune, the fix is usually tuning habits, muting, or setup. Here are seven practical fixes plus a tight practice drill.
Guitar Intonation
Guitar intonation is why chords sound sour even when open strings are in tune. Run the 60-second 12th-fret check and learn which way to move each saddle.
Metronome practice for cleaner chord changes (a routine you can keep)
A simple metronome routine that cleans up chord changes and strumming without turning practice into a math class.
Baritone Ukulele Chords
Every baritone ukulele chord a beginner actually needs, in D G B E tuning, with a printable-style chart, fret numbers, progressions to practice, and the guitar-shape shortcut that makes most of them free.
Baritone Ukulele Tuning (D G B E): Complete Guide
Tune a baritone ukulele to D3 G3 B3 E4 with exact frequencies, a free mic tuner, clear steps, and fixes for strings that will not settle.
How to tune a ukulele (standard gCEA and low G)
Standard ukulele tuning is g C E A. Low G swaps the top string for a deeper sound. Here is how to tune both with a free online ukulele tuner.
How to Tune a Guitar Without a Tuner
Four reliable ways to tune a guitar without a tuner in your pocket — steal a reference note, run the 5th-fret method, use harmonics, or tune the guitar to itself — plus the checks that catch a bad string before a song does.
How often should you tune your guitar, bass, or ukulele?
Tune every time you play, but you do not need a 10-minute ritual. Here is a simple routine that keeps you in tune without killing your practice time.
Drop C vs Drop D: which one fits your riffs (and how to tune both)
Drop D is quick and keeps most standard shapes. Drop C is lower, heavier, and needs more setup care. Here is how to tune both and avoid the usual problems.
Eb Standard Tuning
Eb standard (every string down a half step) explained by a session player who lives in it — the exact notes, why Hendrix and SRV tuned there, how to get down cleanly, songs to learn, and the string-tension math.
Open G tuning on guitar (how to tune, chords, and slide tips)
Tune to Open G (D G D G B D) step by step, learn the core barre chords, and get practical slide tips without the theory dump.
DADGAD Chords
A dozen DADGAD chord shapes with exact frets and honest names, from one-finger chords to movable barres, plus progressions and the songs that made the tuning famous.
Guitar Won’t Stay in Tune
Eight reasons a guitar drifts out of tune, ranked by how often a real repair bench sees them, with the fixes you can do at home and the ones you shouldn’t.
How to Tune a Bass
Standard bass notes with exact octaves and frequencies, step-by-step tuning with a mic-based online tuner, two by-ear methods, and the low-E detection trick.
Drop D Tuning
Drop D tuning lowers your low E string to D (D A D G B E). Tune to drop D in under a minute, learn one-finger power chords, and play the songs that use it.
How to Tune an Electric Guitar
How to tune an electric guitar in five steps — amp or no amp. Standard notes E A D G B E, tuner options, by-ear methods, and the beginner mistakes to avoid.
Weird Guitar Tunings
Nine weird guitar tunings that made real records, from Lou Reed's all-D ostrich tuning to Fripp's C G D A E G, plus a six-step method for designing your own.
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