Sometimes you do not have a clip-on tuner. Sometimes you want to train your ear. Either way, being able to tune by ear is a useful skill.

This guide gives you a simple, reliable by-ear method for standard tuning (E A D G B E), then shows how to verify with an online tuner so you do not drift.

Quick CTA:

Open standard tuning: Guitar standard tuning

Full step-by-step with a tuner: How to tune a guitar

What you need to tune by ear

You need two things:

a guitar
one reference pitch that is in tune

Your reference pitch can be:

a piano or keyboard
a tuning fork
a phone tone generator
the built-in reference tone in TunerHub (then you tune by ear and still verify)

If you want a reliable reference tone, open the standard tuning page and use the string tone buttons:

Guitar standard tuning

The safest by-ear method (one string at a time)

The goal is not "perfect." The goal is "close enough to play, then verify."

Step 1: Tune your A string to a reference A

The cleanest starting point is the 5th string (A).

Play the reference A tone.
Play your open 5th string.
Adjust the tuning peg until the two pitches match.

How to hear the match:

If the pitches do not match, you will hear a slow wobble (beats).
As you get closer, the wobble slows down.
When the wobble disappears, you are close.

Tip: tune up to pitch. If you go sharp, drop slightly below and tune up again.

Step 2: Tune the D string using the 5th fret

Fret the 5th fret on your A string. That note should be D.
Play that fretted note, then play the open 4th string (D).
Adjust the 4th string until the two notes match.

Step 3: Tune the G string using the 5th fret

Fret the 5th fret on the D string. That note should be G.
Match the open 3rd string (G) to it.

Step 4: Tune the B string using the 4th fret

This is the step that catches beginners.

Fret the 4th fret on the G string. That note should be B.
Match the open 2nd string (B) to it.

Why 4th fret here? Because the interval between the G and B strings is different than the others in standard tuning.

Step 5: Tune the high E string using the 5th fret

Fret the 5th fret on the B string. That note should be E.
Match the open 1st string (high E) to it.

Optional Step 6: Tune the low E string using the 5th fret

If you want to tune the low E from the A string:

Fret the 5th fret on the low E string. That note should be A.
Match it to your open A string.

Then check your low E open string against the chord shapes you know. Low strings can sound "close" but still be off by a chunk.

Two fast accuracy checks that catch mistakes

Check 1: play octaves

Play:

open 6th string (E), then open 1st string (E)
open 5th string (A), then 2nd string (B) is not an octave, so skip this one
open 4th string (D), then 1st string 3rd fret (G) is not an octave, so keep it simple

The simplest octave check is the two E strings. If they clash, something is off.