Find a quiet place to tune. Any other music or even loud conversation will hinder your ability to listen for the wave.

2torial #0853: Learn2 Tune a Guitar (Continued) Tune three more strings   In this step you'll learn the pattern for tuning the strings that will work for almost all of the strings. The one exception, the 2nd string, is discussed in Step 5.   Assuming you have a good tone with the 6th string, you're ready to begin the actual tuning process. You're going to match the tone of the 6th with the tone of the 5th, and you'll do this by playing the same note on each string, one after the other. This is where you listen for the wave--the wavering, wobbling sound tells you that the two sound waves aren't together and aren't in tune.   For concert tuning: if you have an A tuning fork, you'll fret the 6th string on the 5th fret as shown in the diagram below--but you'll adjust the 6th string's tuning peg, instead of the 5th string's peg. This will match the 6th string to the 5th string.)   Which two notes do I compare? you may be wondering. Place your non-dominant hand's index or middle finger on 5th fret of the 6th string. You don't, however, put your finger exactly on the fret--it should be just behind the fret on the side closer to the head of the guitar (i.e., further away from you.) Using your dominant hand's thumb (or a guitar pick) play the 6th string at the 5th fret. Very soon after that, play the 5th string open--no fingers on any fret. Listen to the two tones. Hear the wave? The wobbly sound?   Now what? Amazingly, the slightly obscure theory in Step 2 has a very practical application to guitar tuning. Try to change the 5th string to match the sound of the 6th string--you can do this by playing the notes with your dominant hand, and then very quickly reaching over to adjust the 5th string's tuning peg. Listen now for the speed of the wavering sounds. If the waves seem to speed up, you're putting the string even further out of tune. If you hear the waves slow down, you're getting closer to the right pitch. Once you hear the waves slow down and gradually disappear, you've got it. Well done!   And most important! Any time you try to match two tones (one which is correct and the other which isn't) start the out-of-tune string lower than the string that's in tune. That is, loosen the out-of-tune string until it's lower (much lower, if you're not sure you're going in the right direction) than the correct one. You should always arrive at the right tone from below (by tightening a string that's too loose) and not from above (by loosening a string that's too tight).   Repeat this process with the 4th and 3rd strings. Once the 5th string sounds good, fret it at the 5th fret, and play the 4th string open. Again, listen for the waves and adjust the 4th string's tuning peg to match the sounds. Keep going to tune the 3rd string: fret the 4th string on the 5th fret, and play the 3rd string open, and match the sounds. You'll tune the first string the same way: fret the 2nd string on the fifth fret and playing the first string open (but hold off on that for now).   For concert tuning: if you have an A tuning fork, you'll fret the 6th string on the 5th fret as shown in the diagram above--but you'll adjust the 6th string's tuning peg, instead of the 5th string's peg. This will match the untuned 6th string to the tuned 5th string.) Step 5