Guitar 5

Question 0

You can see in this diagram that there are 72 fret positions, but the table above shows only 37 unique notes. Therefore you have multiple ways to finger identical notes on a guitar. This fact is frequently used to get all of a guitar’s strings tuned. For example, you can tune A on

Answer 0

the first string (5th fret) to 440 Hz. Then you know that E at the 5th fret on the second string is the same as the open first string, so you match those two notes up by tuning the second string.

Question 1

This is how a guitar is tuned. A guitar with 12 clear frets has a range of

Answer 1

three octaves, as shown above. The open sixth string is the lowest note, and the 12th fret on the first string is the highest.

Question 2

The 4th fret on the 3rd string (B) is the same as the B on the open 2nd string.
The 5th fret on the 4th string (G) is the same as the G on the open 3rd string.
The 5th fret on the 5th string (D) is the same as the D on the open 4th string.
The 5th fret on the 6th string (A) is the same as the A on the open 5th string.

Answer 2

Once you have all of the strings on a guitar perfectly tuned, using 440 Hz for A as the primary note, then the guitar will have notes with the frequencies shown in the table above, and it is said to be tuned to “concert pitch.”

Question 3

Now the question becomes: How does a guitar generate the frequencies shown above? A guitar uses

Answer 3

vibrating strings to generate tones.

Question 4

Any string under tension will vibrate at a specific frequency that is controlled by:

Answer 4

The length of the string
The amount of tension on the string
The weight of the string
The “springiness” of the string’s material (a rubber band is a lot “springier” than kite string)

Question 5

On a guitar, you can see that the different strings have different

Answer 5

weights. The first string is like a thread, and the sixth string is wound so that it is much thicker and heavier.

Question 6

The tension on the strings is controlled by

Answer 6

the tuning pegs.

Question 7

The length of the open strings, also known as

Answer 7

the scale length, is the distance from the nut to the saddle.

Question 8

On most guitars, the scale length ranges from

Answer 8

24 inches to 26 inches.

Question 9

When you press down on a string at a fret you change the length of

Answer 9

the string, and therefore its frequency when vibrating