Help!

[lg]

HELP!

I've just decided to try to tune my acoustic guitar to Nashville tuning.
I've been working at it for several hours now, and am getting quite confused.
The way I understand it to be, is the top 2 strings are to be left alone, with normal tuning.
The bottom 4 strings should be tuned one octave higher than they normally are.
So,I restrung E A D and G strings with thinner strings so as to tune them higher.
Normally, I tune the bottom E then holding down the 5th fret, I tune the 5th string ( A ),
to match, etc....
However, if I do that now then it's really not one octave higher, is it?
So ,I tried working in reverse. Using the 2nd second string B as a guide, I counted up 8 frets.
Then tuned the 3rd string to it, etc...
It sounds weird!
HELP!

What am I doing wrong here?

LG

[cuthbert]

Hey lg, this is what I've done in the past:

The simplest approach is if you have another guitar you can use as a tuning reference. Get the tuning for your Nashville tuning by fretting the 12th fret of the E,A,D, and G strings on the other guitar. Similarly, you could use a piano or keyboard as a reference. Easy-peasy.

Another way to do it using just the one guitar is similar to how you started to do it. Make sure your B and E strings are in tune, and then:

• Pluck the B string at the 8th fret and tune your high G to it
• Tune the D string at the 5th fret to match your high G
• Tune the A string at the 5th fret to match your high D
• Tune the E string at the 5th fret to match your high A

Hope that helps!

[lg]

Geez, Louise.....

Thanx cuthbert!

WOW, I feel like a dummy....
I should have thought of that myself...LOL

Thanks for the speedy comeback

LG

[Farrell Jackson]

 What Cuthbert said does the job well. It also helps to have a tuner to fine tune it after you are in the ballpark. Another way is to use a D string in place of the low E string. Tune it to standard D then gradually move it up to octave E. Then tune the rest of the strings like you normally would from the 5th fret. Have fun with the tuning!

[cuthbert]

Another way is to use a D string in place of the low E string. Tune it to standard D then gradually move it up to octave E.

Hey, that's a good idea, Farrell! I'll have to try that sometime.

[lg]

Thanks Farrell,

I've got a D on there now,
sounds like a good idea as well...

LG