Tuning of Guitars

[amy_1504]

Hey Guys, I have started guitar and I'm just wondering if you can tune your guitar to a piano? Is it possible. Please Help.

Thanks

[sirpazhan]

Yes,, Ive done it countless times,, assuming your piano is in tune of course. 

[the_fervid_pig]

Yes, middle C on a piano corresponds to the C played on the 2nd string (B) 1st fret on a guitar, as a guitar is tuned an octave lower than concert.

[timothy42b]

If you are going to play along with a piano, it is highly advisable to tune to it.

I tune guitars and ukuleles to pianos frequently.  It works fine. 

An electronic tuner (like the Korg CA-30) is dirt cheap and easy to use, and easier to put in your pocket than a piano, though. 

In the old days we used tuning forks.  I still have one somewhere.  That takes a bit more skill though.

[brogers70]

There's more than one way to tune a guitar to a piano. If you tune one of the E strings to the E on the piano and then proceed to tune the guitar using harmonics (3rd overtone on the lower string to the 2nd overtone on the next higher string) then the remainder of the strings will be slightly off with respect to the (presumably equally tempered) piano. On the other hand, if you tune each guitar string individually to the corresponding piano key, you'll match the piano better, but the guitar may sound off to you, if you are very sensitive to such small changes.

[timothy42b]

Having experimented with a number of ways to tune guitars (my church ran a beginner guitar class for a while, and I tuned the group's guitars else I couldn't stand it) I do NOT recommend harmonics. 

You are correct that you don't end up equal temperament, but you also don't end up anything else really usable either. 

Harmonics tuning is fun and probably worth experimenting with, as part of learning to tune is learning to listen harder.  But as you learn to hear better you'll also be more unhappy with the results.

[justharmony]

Yeah... I thought guitars were fretted with the intention of equal temperament (if you have a good enough guitar - if not, good luck trying to be consistently in tune with any temperament).  Tuning with harmonics would totally mess you up in terms of having the guitar in tune with itself or a piano.  Yes?