| When you tune to an electronic tuner, you are tuned to the tuner. But a guitar, must be tuned to itself for best tone. Here is how this works: With harmonic tuning, you compare a fretted tone to a harmonic tone. The frequencies should match. If they don’t, you will hear beat frequencies. That is; you will hear a WA-WA-WA sound. Pitches (string frequencies generated by picking) with matching frequencies produce a steady tone - no warble or WA-WA-WA. You can hear the WA-WA-WA slow as the pitches begin to match as you increase string tension. When comparing tones, start with the fretted string pitch below the harmonic pitch and tune up gradually. |
| 1) Tune C string to C pitch on electronic tuner (Ukulele C3 on chromatic tuners) |
| 2) G string tuning: G-5th to C string at 12th fret Harmonic |
| 3) D string tuning: D-5th to G string at 12th fret Harmonic |
| 4) A string tuning: A-5th to D string at 12th fret Harmonic |
| 5) Re-check C string against tuner, then all other strings again |
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