I spent 6 months convinced my guitar tuning was fine until a friend played it

So I've been playing guitar for like 4 years now, and I always thought I had a decent ear for tuning. But last summer I was jamming with a buddy who's been playing way longer, and he asked if my G string sounded off to me. I said no, it's fine whatever. He picked up my guitar, tuned it by ear in like 20 seconds, and suddenly everything sounded so much better. I was honestly embarrassed because I had been playing with slightly flat strings for months thinking it was just how my guitar sounded. I guess I got used to the bad tuning gradually so I never noticed. Now I always double check with a tuner app even if I think it's right, which has saved me a lot of frustration. Has anyone else realized they were just living with something slightly off for way too long before someone pointed it out?

3 comments

3 Comments

murray.jana1mo ago

That "it's wild how fast your ears adjust" thing really hit me, I always thought my ear was solid till my buddy proved me wrong too.

wesleyb201mo ago

Yeah @jana_shah nailed it with the tuner thing. I do the same now. Check the strings before every session, even if it felt fine last time. Your brain just compensates for the off notes after a few minutes.

jana_shah1mo ago

My buddy Dave did the exact same thing to me with my banjo about two years ago. I'd been playing it for maybe six months and thought it sounded fine, but he picked it up, tweaked the fifth string by like a quarter turn, and the whole thing just rang out clear and bright. I was playing it slightly sharp the whole time and just got used to the way it pinched. Now I keep a little clip-on tuner in my case at all times and check it before I even start strumming. It's wild how fast your ears can adjust to something being off without you realizing it.