People see a musician playing a beautiful piece of music and think about how they make it look so easy. In actuality, it is not. The quality of the music played is always dependent on the accuracy of the set up. Many common guitar tuning problems can be identified and addressed to keep the music pitch perfect. Here are some common factors.

There is little a new pair of strings can't fix. Old strings with their dampened notes and loose feel may drop out of position. Tune with new strings and then be prepared to stretch them out for a a bit until their natural flexibility is worn off and they hold their pitch more effectively.

Always try to avoid major swings in temperature with your guitars. Heat will stretch the body and neck making them longer and have a higher pitch. In the same but opposite way, cold will compress the materials and loosen the strings dropping the notes. Significant changes in temperature are the bane of guitarists and must be avoided at all costs.

Strings are attached to the body of the instrument through the use of a bridge at one end and tuning heads at the other. Some bridges can be adjusted to allow the note to become dialed in to a specific frequency. This adjustment can be quite minute and if done incorrectly can result in a difficult to tune instrument. Manufacturers will generally produce a recommended scale length that can be dialed into this adjustment. Make sure to check the exact measurements so it is accurate.

The head at the end of the neck holds the tuning pegs. These pegs have the string wrapped around them and are tightened and loosened depending on need. Once set, they should hold the string but if they are made from cheap components they may slip and pitch is sacrificed. Replacement parts are cheap and the process of swapping pegs is quite simple. Just ensure that the replacement pegs are made to fit the openings on the head.

Pitch is dependent on the tools used to measure it. There are tuning forks and pitch pipes available for use and are efficient when used with a trained ear. For others who do not hear the correct tone as easily, an electronic tuner is the solution. This will find the current frequency and indicate whether the string should be loosened or tightened. No longer is it necessary to rely on ears alone to find the correct tunings.

Guitars favor the gentle. They are often constructed of delicate woods and operate while in a tense state. When play is too aggressive the extra force on the strings can pull them out of tune. Furthermore, impacts to the body can also result in a loss of accuracy. It is far better to be nice to your axe than it is to damage it through rough behavior.

With anything, maintenance becomes a key part of solving common guitar tuning problems. The good news is that most of the problems can be corrected by paying attention to some of the small details such as replacing strings, controlling temperatures, upgrading cheap parts and using electronic tuners. With a little work almost any pitch problem can be resolved. Just follow the tips and don't try to play it by ear.