The easiest and most accurate way to tune your mandolin is by using an electronic tuner. An electronic tuner allows you to tune each string individually to the tuner, by indicating whether the notes are sharp (too high) or flat (too low). Instruments with pickups can plug directly in to the tuner.
There are several types of electronic tuners but most are relatively inexpensive and simple to operate. Tuning using other methods is difficult for beginners and may take many months to master, so we recommend you purchase an electronic tuner, particularly if you do not have a teacher or a friend who can tune it for you. Also if your mandolin is way out of tune you can always take it to your local music store so they can tune it for you. Once a mandolin has been tuned correctly it should only need minor adjustments before each practice session. To learn to tune the mandolin using other methods see the How To Tune Your Mandolin Section .