Why does my guitar go out of tune?

Every time before playing guitar, I need to tune it first. Do you have the same problem of your guitar not holding in tune every time you pick it up?

There are many possible reasons causing this problem:

The Nut

At the top of your guitar’s neck, where the neck meets the headstock, you can find the “nut.” The strings need to be correctly seated in each of the slots to keep the guitar in tune. If the nut slots are cut too thin, they can catch the strings while you’re tuning and get stuck on it, so you will hear a “ping” while you are tuning it and the string will jump too far sharp or flat. If you notice that your strings are breaking around the nut, look to see if there are any sharp edges on the nut slot where the string broke. These issues can be fixed by filing down the nut -> be extremely careful with that, as you will have to replace it if you go too far.

The Tuning Pegs

Check if there is any play in your tuning pegs. You may be able to solve this by tightening the tiny screw in the peg itself. If this doesn’t help, take it to a professional to diagnose or replace the tuners yourself.

Intonation

If notes sound slightly out of tune the higher you play up the neck, especially compared with open notes, then your guitar likely has an intonation issue. You should bring it to a luthier for this. Make sure to make VERY minor adjustments and take note of exactly how much you adjusted everything in case the guitar plays worse after adjusting. This requires truss rod and bridge adjustment as well. Most guitars have screws on the bridge saddles that you can adjust to fix intonation issues with each individual string. For guitars with a tune-o-matic bridge (e.g. Gibson Les Paul and SG), the adjustment will be on the whole bridge. On a Fender Strat/Tele, individual saddle adjustment is required.

To adjust the truss rod, there is a screw that sits just above the nut at the base of the headstock. 1/4 turns at most are recommended. Again, take note of how much you’ve turned it so you can reverse what you’ve done if your guitar plays worse afterwards. These adjustments do require some expertise and can potentially damage the guitar if done incorrectly!

The Strings

Old strings will not stay in tune while you’re playing. When changing strings, make sure to stretch the strings out a lot before playing. Depending on how often you play, they may need to be changed every month, every week, or even every gig. When you change strings make sure you leave enough space for a number of windings around each string tree. Generally unwound top strings need more winds than the wound ones.

The Capo

Another recurring tuning issue comes along with using a capo, especially on guitars with jumbo frets. You will realize that a badly placed capo will pull strings out of tune. Try placing the capo directly on top of the fret rather than traditionally behind it and this should help.

The Strap

If you’re using a strap tied to the headstock, it can also pull the tuning sharp. If this is the case, get a strap button screwed onto the heel of the guitar. You can ask a luthier to do that.

The climate

Changes in temperature and humidity levels will greatly affect tuning. When playing live, make sure to tune often because it’s an uncontrollable factor. Also, the temperature changes due to taking instruments from the car into the outdoors and then into a warm building, coupled with the dry climate there caused enormous tuning problems.

You ;-)

Your own playing style is an important issue as well. Sometimes bad tuning is caused simply by pressing a string too hard, especially if you are playing electric strings. If you press down on the fretboard too hard when you play, the strings will go a little sharp as they bend against the frets. Using heavier gauge strings can solve this issue, or using a lighter touch on the strings while playing.

About the author:
Based in Zurich Switzerland, Roger Walder is a student of Music&Co., a guitar music school owned by professional musician and certified guitar teacher Gonçalo Crespo. Check out his website at Gitarrenunterricht Zurich.