Almost everyone, at least once in their life, has desired to learn to play the guitar, but sometimes the initial approach can be discouraging for beginners, leading them to abandon their good intentions.

The classical guitar is an incredibly popular instrument, which in some cases might lead people to believe it is very easy to play. Alas, that is not the case.
Before diving straight into the C scale, it would be wise to build a solid theoretical foundation, starting with a physical understanding of the instrument.

The classical guitar is a chordophone instrument, meaning it belongs to a class of musical instruments where sound is produced by vibrating strings. It consists of two main parts: the neck, which includes the fretboard ending in the headstock that houses the tuning machines. The second part is the body, containing the soundboard that amplifies the sound produced by the strings.

Once you are familiar with the general structure of your classical guitar, you can finally start play—oh wait, first you must learn something fundamental for any guitarist worth their salt: tuning the guitar.

There are several ways to tune a classical guitar: you can use a tuner, specialized apps, or, for the more experienced, even tune by ear.
Before starting, it’s important to learn a couple of simple theoretical notions.

The classical guitar is generally tuned as follows:
First String -> E
Second String -> B
Third String -> G
Fourth String -> D
Fifth String -> A
Sixth String -> E

Now, finally, you can start tuning your guitar.
The simplest method is undoubtedly using a tuner. It goes without saying that the better the device’s quality, the better the tuning quality will be, so try to use the most efficient one available.
Basically, you start by playing a single string and observe the tuner’s display. If the name of the string being played does not appear, it means the string is out of tune and needs adjusting by tightening or loosening the corresponding tuning peg. How do you know whether to tighten or loosen it without trial and error?

Very simple: when you pluck the string, the tuner will indicate if the string is flat or sharp. If the left bars on the tuner light up, the string is flat, and you need to tighten the peg. If the right bars light up, the string is sharp, and you should loosen the peg. The string is in tune when the central bar lights up or when no bars light up.
This straightforward process should be repeated for all six strings, following the same principles.
Using apps to tune is almost identical; just search for “guitar tuner” on the App Store or Google Play.

Things become significantly more challenging when moving on to tuning by ear.

For this, you’ll need a tuning fork, an acoustic device that produces a standard pitch, in this case, an A note. Once this note is generated, you tune the fifth string (A string) to match it. After tuning the A string, you can proceed by producing a harmonic on the 5th fret of the A string and matching it to the 7th fret harmonic of the D string.
Once the D string is in tune, you can do the same for the G string. To tune the low E (6th string), produce a harmonic on the 7th fret of the A string and match it to the 5th fret harmonic on the low E string. For the high E (1st string), produce a 7th fret harmonic on the A string and match it to the open high E string. Finally, tune the B string by matching the 7th fret harmonic on the low E string to the open B string.
This method is undoubtedly more complex and not recommended for beginners still getting familiar with the instrument.

These methods are both valid for what is, as mentioned above, the standard tuning for classical guitar. Standard tuning is typically taught by instructors to help students learn the instrument, but it’s not the only way to tune and play a classical guitar.
Once you become more comfortable with the instrument, you can explore other tuning styles, which are widely used in contemporary music worldwide.

Another way to tune a classical guitar is by using “open tuning.” This tuning method adjusts the strings so that when played open, they form a complete chord. This type of tuning is popular for its unique sound and ease of playing polyphonic pieces for soloists or small bands.
An example of open tuning is C Major: C G C G C E.

Another option is modal tuning, which makes the strings produce a suspended fourth chord, where the fourth string “replaces” the third.

Lastly, there are many alternative tunings, which differ from the standard tuning (E A D G B E). While alternative tunings might seem similar to open tunings, there is a key difference: alternative tunings don’t form a complete chord when played open. These tunings are used to achieve specific, unique sounds. One of the most recognizable alternative tunings, even for beginners, is the Celtic tuning: D A D G A D.

The more tunings you can master, the better, undoubtedly. However, it’s essential to practice extensively with standard tuning, which allows you to play many songs from various genres and eras.
It wouldn’t make much sense to experiment with more specialized tunings without first mastering the standard technique—it would be like attempting multiplication before mastering addition.

Before concluding, an important note: Tuning a guitar is not a one-time act. Over time and with use, the guitar may need retuning. Thus, it is crucial for any guitarist or aspiring player to master this skill.