Top 3 best programs for tuning a guitar via computer

Tuning a guitar for a beginner is not an easy task. To make it easier, professionals, together with program developers, have created special applications that allow you to tune a guitar without much difficulty using a regular computer. 

What types of guitar tuning apps are there? 

Guitar tuning programs can work on different principles. In general, they are divided into two types:  

1. The first type involves tuning by ear. The program will simply play each note. The user’s task here will be to tighten the string so that the sound of the guitar string matches the sound produced by the program. 

1. The second type looks preferable. It is as simple as possible and uses the computer microphone. A desktop PC must have a webcam, or a headset with a microphone must be connected to it. In the case of a laptop, everything is generally simple – it has a built-in microphone by default. The program works as follows: its interface contains a diagram with an arrow. When a sound is played on a guitar, the program determines its tone and tells you whether to tighten or loosen the string. Such programs have a graphical interface that can be navigated visually. 

This article will consider the second type of programs, since with them tuning a guitar is much easier and faster. A more detailed list of programs for tuning a guitar can be found here. 

PitchPerfect Musical Instrument Tuner 

The program is very common and has good functionality. At the same time, it has clear graphs to determine the correct tone setting. In the case of this program, you can set the correct parameters both through the microphone and using the linear input of the sound card. To use the program, you must:  

• Select a musical instrument. To do this, Guitar is indicated in the column called Instruments. 
• Next, in the Tunings item, select settings. The sound can be dull or ringing. Depending on your preferences, you can select one or another setting here. For beginners, it is recommended to leave it at Standard. 
• The Options tab specifies the microphone that will be used when debugging the guitar (necessary if a webcam and a headset with a microphone are connected to the laptop at the same time). Otherwise, several microphones will be used at once, causing the sound to be distorted. 

After all manipulations, the program indicates the string number. Then you need to bring the guitar to the microphone and play the sound on it with the indicated string. The graph will immediately show the tone value for the played sound (red stripe). The green stripe corresponds to the ideal. The task is to make the two stripes coincide. The program is free, but is not available in Russian.

Guitar Hero 6 

This program is paid, but a trial version with a limited period of use is also available. In general, this application was created so that you can learn to play on it. You can find any track, add it to the program, and it will convert it for playing on the guitar. Then, by learning the chords, you can play any track.  

However, in this case, let’s look at tuning a guitar using this software. First you need to open an option such as the built-in tuner. It’s in the Tools menu and called Digital Guitar Tuner. If you have to tune an electric or acoustic guitar with a pickup, you will need to first connect it to the line input of your sound card and select this device for recording. To do this, you need to go to “Options” – “Windows Volume Control” – “Options” – “Properties” – “Recording”. Afterwards you need to check the box next to “Lin. Entrance”.

After starting the tuner, the button corresponding to the string being tuned is selected. Then, on the guitar, the string is plucked until the arrow in the application interface is centered. Its location on the right means that you need to loosen the tension, and on the left it means you need to tighten it. If you are using an acoustic guitar without a pickup, you need to connect a microphone to the sound card. Select “Microphone” as the sound source in the settings.  

AP Guitar Tuner  

A free and functional application that is very easy to use. Just launch the program and open the Recording Device and Calibration menu in it. In the Device to Use tab, you select the microphone for recording, and in the Rate/Bits/Channel item you set the quality of the incoming sound. 

In the Edit Note Presets section, an instrument is specified or a guitar tuning is selected. One cannot fail to note such a function as checking harmony. This parameter is controlled using visualization and is available in the Harmonics Graph menu. 

Conclusion  

All presented programs stand out for the accuracy of their work. At the same time, they have a simple and intuitive interface, which will also play an important role during setup.