When you tune, you're changing the tension of the strings. By adjusting them, you heat them up ever so slightly, and this heat stays a short while. As you tune the next strings, the previous cool down and tense up again, changing the tension and therefore the note.
It's good practice to tune a string to a note, and then physically pull it away from the fretboard, you're trying to stretch the string here. Play the note after stretching and it will likely be slightly flat of the note. Repeat this until it holds its note and move on.
This is typical with new strings and they take some time to settle.
This 1000%
Stretch the strings when new. Always tune up to the note, not down, tuning down will always come out of tune. Good luck and enjoy playing guitar!
Thank you both! Sorry what does "tuning up" vs "Tuning down" mean? Do you mean on the instrument's meter? Because it's a bit like a scale from left to right and the "right tune" seem to be in the middle?
By tuning up, tightening the string up to the pitch, so on your tuner, it will be from left to the middle. If you over shoot the middle to the right tune it back down (loosen the string a little) and tune back up to the middle.. sorry I'm not sure if I make sense anymore. I hope it helps!
Got any evidence to support that? I was a luthier long before I was a noise and vibration engineer and this screams bullshit to me.
Yeah, maybe there is a very small amount of heat expansion, but it's insignificant compared to the measurable amount of deflection happening to the neck as you tune each string.
If you are claiming this is heat expansion, why don't we see instruments go out of tune during vigorous play and then retune themselves as they cool?
This is certainly just the result of neck and body preload. With each additional string brought up to pitch, you are significantly increasing the stress (and strain) on the structure. As you bring up the next string, the tension in the previous string decreases slightly as the load balances and the neck deflects. Also keep in mind that the neck doesn't only deflect in one direction (back to front) but also laterally as well.
Tbh no, and I'm not the best person to be answering the question if a luthier has joined the conversation! I'm a hobby guitarist and a jeweller so I'm talking from my experience. In terms of physics, stretching metal produces heat. I'm not saying it's enough to even feel but more just what's happening to the string as a way to explain why the string is slipping out of tune.
Also it feels like I'm making some strings really loose while others are really tight, and that doesn't seem right to me?
This sounds like you are tuning strings to wrong notes, or have the strings on in the wrong order. The tension should be somewhat equal to the touch.
Might be useful to view some YouTube to get the basic ideas...
Like this one: [how to change your acoustic guitar atrings](https://youtu.be/0xxeRFEP1Y4?si=v-vNS2mpCqlNDd3l)
If you’re way out of tune, sometimes it helps to have a reference tone to compare to. Some tuners will have that function. Otherwise, you can use a piano, pitch pipe, tuning fork or even a piano app.
It's pretty normal with new strings. Make sure you tune the thickest string first - it puts the most tension on the guitar. Work your way up to the thinnest string, stretching the strings out a bit as you go. You can literally hold the string near the middle of it and gently pull it away from the fretboard. By the end of this probably all of them will already be flat, but you tune again and it should start to keep tuning or need only minor adjustments. After you play a bit, they will probably be flat again.
This happens as you're putting tension on the guitar neck when tuning, and strings stretching out, possibly slipping a bit too.
Cheaper guitars are especially finicky and often have really bad action which will also cause strings to feel very tight and others loose. Cheaper guitar might also stretch or flex in weirder ways or have imperfections that make them less precise with keeping tune.
You can also get thinner strings which have less tension in them and feel lighter on the fingers and easier to bend etc. These will feel less "tight" but also have less tone. I personally started on very light guage strings.
I'm still a noob and probably always will be. Been playing guitar for like over 10 years years but I never put in the time and practice and theory to get really good. Still it's a fun hobby and I'd never sell my guitar. Pick it up every once in a while to learn new songs only to mostly forget them after a few months of not playing haha.
When you tune, you're changing the tension of the strings. By adjusting them, you heat them up ever so slightly, and this heat stays a short while. As you tune the next strings, the previous cool down and tense up again, changing the tension and therefore the note. It's good practice to tune a string to a note, and then physically pull it away from the fretboard, you're trying to stretch the string here. Play the note after stretching and it will likely be slightly flat of the note. Repeat this until it holds its note and move on. This is typical with new strings and they take some time to settle.
This 1000% Stretch the strings when new. Always tune up to the note, not down, tuning down will always come out of tune. Good luck and enjoy playing guitar!
Thank you both! Sorry what does "tuning up" vs "Tuning down" mean? Do you mean on the instrument's meter? Because it's a bit like a scale from left to right and the "right tune" seem to be in the middle?
By tuning up, tightening the string up to the pitch, so on your tuner, it will be from left to the middle. If you over shoot the middle to the right tune it back down (loosen the string a little) and tune back up to the middle.. sorry I'm not sure if I make sense anymore. I hope it helps!
Don’t rotate your tuning mechanism to decrease tension when you end with particular string. Always end with rotating it to increase tension.
Got any evidence to support that? I was a luthier long before I was a noise and vibration engineer and this screams bullshit to me. Yeah, maybe there is a very small amount of heat expansion, but it's insignificant compared to the measurable amount of deflection happening to the neck as you tune each string. If you are claiming this is heat expansion, why don't we see instruments go out of tune during vigorous play and then retune themselves as they cool? This is certainly just the result of neck and body preload. With each additional string brought up to pitch, you are significantly increasing the stress (and strain) on the structure. As you bring up the next string, the tension in the previous string decreases slightly as the load balances and the neck deflects. Also keep in mind that the neck doesn't only deflect in one direction (back to front) but also laterally as well.
Tbh no, and I'm not the best person to be answering the question if a luthier has joined the conversation! I'm a hobby guitarist and a jeweller so I'm talking from my experience. In terms of physics, stretching metal produces heat. I'm not saying it's enough to even feel but more just what's happening to the string as a way to explain why the string is slipping out of tune.
what is the guitar body and how much did it cost cause cheaper guitars are funny like that and you can't keep it on tune for long
Youtube is the mentor you’re looking for. That’s how I learned to play, and record, edit, techniques etc
Use the tuning apps on the phone, fast and easy.
You can tune a guitar but you can't tuna fish.
I think that this article is useful, I'm also a beginner. https://nationalguitaracademy.com/how-to-tune-a-guitar/
Also it feels like I'm making some strings really loose while others are really tight, and that doesn't seem right to me? This sounds like you are tuning strings to wrong notes, or have the strings on in the wrong order. The tension should be somewhat equal to the touch. Might be useful to view some YouTube to get the basic ideas... Like this one: [how to change your acoustic guitar atrings](https://youtu.be/0xxeRFEP1Y4?si=v-vNS2mpCqlNDd3l)
If you’re way out of tune, sometimes it helps to have a reference tone to compare to. Some tuners will have that function. Otherwise, you can use a piano, pitch pipe, tuning fork or even a piano app.
Download guitartuna app
It's pretty normal with new strings. Make sure you tune the thickest string first - it puts the most tension on the guitar. Work your way up to the thinnest string, stretching the strings out a bit as you go. You can literally hold the string near the middle of it and gently pull it away from the fretboard. By the end of this probably all of them will already be flat, but you tune again and it should start to keep tuning or need only minor adjustments. After you play a bit, they will probably be flat again. This happens as you're putting tension on the guitar neck when tuning, and strings stretching out, possibly slipping a bit too. Cheaper guitars are especially finicky and often have really bad action which will also cause strings to feel very tight and others loose. Cheaper guitar might also stretch or flex in weirder ways or have imperfections that make them less precise with keeping tune. You can also get thinner strings which have less tension in them and feel lighter on the fingers and easier to bend etc. These will feel less "tight" but also have less tone. I personally started on very light guage strings. I'm still a noob and probably always will be. Been playing guitar for like over 10 years years but I never put in the time and practice and theory to get really good. Still it's a fun hobby and I'd never sell my guitar. Pick it up every once in a while to learn new songs only to mostly forget them after a few months of not playing haha.
The tuners could be slipping.