Guitar Tuner Using PIC Microcontroller
Abstract
A guitar produces sound when the vibrations of
the strings by means of plucked or strummed
transmitted into the air and the sound waves from the
string resonates through the guitar's body, thus creating
sound. A guitar usually uses a sound board and a sound
box to strengthen the vibrations of the strings. Some
importance of guitar why up until now it is very popular
is that it waves away our stress when we play it. And
also sharpen our mind in a way that we memorize every
chords of every song we want to play.
I. INTRODUCTION
A standard guitar is tuned to
ascending perfect fourths and a single major
third, which are EADGBE. This was done to
have a smooth transition between simple
chords or common scales with minimal
fret-hand movement.
A. BACKGROUND
1. How does guitar works
A guitar produces sound when the vibrations
of the strings by means of plucked or
strummed transmitted into the air and the
sound waves from the string resonates
through the guitar's body, thus creating
sound. A guitar usually uses a sound board
and a sound box to strengthen the vibrations
of the strings. [2]
2. How guitar auto tuner works
Guitar tuner is a device that detects
and displays the pitch to open strings of
guitar. Some guitar tuner uses an LCD or
LED to determine if the pitch is lower, higher
or equal to the desired pitch. The first thing
you need to know is the note for each string,
from top to the lowest string E (top string) A
(2nd) D (3rd) G (4th) B (5th) e (bottom string
with the thinnest string). The note will be
getting higher as the strings get tighten up
and lower as the strings get loosen. By
plucking a certain string, or by picking the
strings one by one, and turning the peg until it
reaches the desired frequency that is needed
you can determine if each string is in their
proper pitch or if it is in tune. [3]
3. Auto tuning a guitar
Auto-tuner of a guitar is consists of a
microcontroller with a servo motor that
rotates the string of the guitar to its proper
tune. The accuracy of the auto-tuner device
depends on the data that is gathered by the
microcontroller. When a frequency is being
input to the microcontroller, it will out a data
that will make the servo rotates on how much
the string needed for the frequency to be on
tune.[1]
B. PROBLEMS
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II.
progress as a guitarist. Playing the
guitar that is out of tune is teaching the
ear to hear the wrong thing. Able to tune
the guitar by ear takes a lot of practice
and a trained ear for correct guitar
pitches. When one is complete novice in
guitar, tuner dependency is a must to
practice the ear for the correct tone of
every string of the guitar. [1]
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

1. Tone Deafness: Poor Pitch Perception

Tone deafness is having a hard time
hearing musical pitches and notes. Being
tone deaf has a poor pitch discrimination,
incapable to distinguish when the notes are
right or wrong, and commit frequent mistakes
when singing or playing an instrument.
Tone-deaf people can't differentiate between
two different notes, unless it is radically
different. The truly tone-deaf individual - for
whom amusia represents a cognitive deficit -
is someone incapable to learn to distinguish
between notes and thus correctly sing the
melody of a song but a person just having a
poor pitch perception may improve the ability
to differentiate pitches or mimic them. A
constant practice and continuously listening
to a correct pitch improves pitch perception.
2. Unable to Tune Guitar by Ear
Every guitarist, from beginner to
intermediate to pro, must take a highest
priority on tuning guitar but not all guitar
player can tune the guitar by ear. Tuning
guitar is a crucial aspect of playing
music especially for beginners.
Beginner guitarist is not yet able to
distinguish the pitches of every string
and tend not to tune the guitar when
practicing. However, it diminish the
A. How to Tune a Classical Guitar
According to Ben Tobiasson, the guitar
cannot actually be tuned perfectly by design.
For the two types of guitar which is the
beginner or student instrument and medium
or professional instruments have their own
kind of tonal errors. For the student
instrument, they have a greater tonal errors
compared to the professional guitar. And if
you don't have any electric tuner for your
instrument you can use a pitch fork to tune
the first string. Then Tune the (6) string two
octaves below the (1) string, then tune (5)
string open to V on (6), then (4) open to V on
(5), then (3) open to V on (4), then (2) open
to IV on (3) and check (1) open to V on the
(2) string. The tuning on (1) should not be
change instead, you must recheck again with
your pitch fork and adjust the five strings until
their tone match. [7]
B. Final Project ECE 470 Microcontroller
Based Guitar Tuner by Benjamin Batchman
As said by Benjamin Bachman an
accurate guitar tuner represents a real world
application of the concepts that have been
taught in class such as LED’s, ADC and LCD.
The method in this project is counting of
frequency. Each string of the standard tuned
guitar has it’s own unique frequencies that is
III. OBJECTIVES
why to tune the guitar there is the need of
analog to digital conversion to be able to
count and compare frequencies. A. General Objective

C. C .Electric Guitar Tuner by J.S. Adams To create a device that can automatically
adjust the frequency of guitar string to its
proper tune by using servo motor
According to J.S Adams, electronic
Guitar Tuner is a device used as an aid in
tuning an electric guitar, and can also be B. Specific Problem
used even by an unskilled operator. The
advantage of this device is that it is more
1. To detect the frequency of the guitar string
accurate and the guitar lead to be plugged
and send it to the PIC Microcontroller
directly into the tuner as opposed to passing
2. To compile a flow code program that
through a standard guitar amplifier. It has fast
compares the given frequency of a guitar to
response time enough to allow quick tuning.
its proper tune
Unlike from others, it is more reliable and
3. To use an LCD, Keypad and a Sensor
consistent since it should indicate if a note is
to the device
sharp or flat regardless of how far out of tune
a particular string is.[5]

IV. PROJECT SCOPE AND LIMITATION

D. D. Real Time Staff Notation
Generation of Guitar Along with Standard The project operates only in an acoustic
Guitar Tuner guitar and it is not a device that is battery
operated.

According to Himanshu Babbar and

Bhumika Singhal, a guitar is consist of six
strings and each strings is divided into a
number of frets. For the standard classical
guitars it consist of 19 frets and an electric
guitar which consist of 21 and 24 frets where
each fret represents a different note. This
frets also create specific vibration, thus in
every chord corresponds with different
frequency as well. The table below shows the
frequency of the pitch played on the
respective fret of the guitar on a particular
string. [6]
V. CONSTRAINTS AND TRADE-OFFS
If the microcontroller used is an Arduino the
readings of the frequency are more accurate
than using a PIC microcontroller but since
Arduino is costly than the PIC microcontroller,
the inexpensive microcontroller is used.
VI. METHODOLOGY
The proposed design contains the detailed
discussions on how the design will be made.
 A. System Flowchart/Diagram

I. Capturing the tune of the string

After the tune has been gathered by

the microphone it will go directly to
operational amplifier circuit where the electric
current produced by the microphone will be
converted into voltage and then will be
amplified by the operational amplifier thus,
increasing the voltage received.
The figure above shows how the
researchers capture the tune of the strings III. Making it as an input in the PIC
from the guitar. The researcher will use a Microcontroller
microphone to obtain the tune or the vibration
of the strings of guitar, where the sound wave The voltage amplified by the operational
created by the guitar will be converted into an amplifier is transferred to a PIC
electric current. Microcontroller. The microcontroller operates
when the voltage is high having a value of
II. Amplifying the tune gathered greater than one. The time it takes to reach
the high voltage is necessary in computing
the frequency of the string. With this high
voltage, it will now generate a frequency.

IV. Getting the frequency of the string

The musician plucking the string being

tuned generates a signal having a frequency.
This frequency is being compared to a stored
“in tune” reference frequency of the string.
The string is out of tune when there is a
difference between the two frequencies. The
LCD will display if the string is out of tune or
in tune. The musician will pluck the string
until the LCD displays “in tune”.
V. Controlling the stepper motor as an
output
The deviation in frequency of the string
causes the stepper motor to move. The
stepping motor moves the tensioning
member transversely of the string and, by this
motion, causes the the string being tuned to
increase or decrease the tension in it and
vary the vibrating frequency of the string until
the string is in tune.
B. Prototype Layout
Included here is the diagram of the prototype
layout and its basic caption/s. Emphasize on
the actual measurements and details.
Fig. 4. The prototype design as sample
figure. Followed by its short discussions.
This will contain the detailed discussion of the
figure of the prototype layout.
C. Actual Picture of the Prototype
Included here is the diagram of the actual
prototype and its basic caption/s. Emphasize
on the actual measurements and details.
Fig. 5. The actual prototype design as sample
figure. Followed by its short discussions.
VII.TESTING AND RESULT
A. By using breadboard
All of the components must be assemble
first in the breadboard before making it into
PCB(Printed Circuit Board) to know if it is
working or not. Troubleshooting in the
breadboard is the first step in making a
prototype project.
B.Simulation of program in Flow code
The program that is used in making this
project is using a Flow code. Simulate first
the program made in the Flow code before
encoding it to the PIC for a less hassle
troubleshooting.
C. Using Proteus software in determining if
the code will run in the circuit.
Proteus is a software that enables us to
encode that program in the PIC and simulate
it through the software itself.
D..Using Proteus software to determine if the
project is working
After determining that the program will
work on the PIC, simulate the whole circuit
with the stepper motor to determine if all is
working properly.
E. Testing the prototype after it is done and
REFERENCES
check if it can tune the guitar properly
[1] Andy@Musicademy, "8 reasons why your
It will be done after the prototype is guitar won’t stay in tune," in Ask the
made, It is the final checking if it is working or expert, Musicademy, 2012. [Online].
not. Available:
http://www.musicademy.com/2012/03/reason
s-why-your-guitar-wont-stay-in-tune/.
F. Checking the tune of the guitar with digital Accessed: Feb. 23, 2017.
tuner to determine if it is properly tuned
[2] J. Wolfe, "How does a guitar work?,".
[Online]. Available:
VIII.CONCLUSIONS http://newt.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/guitarintro.
html.Accessed: Feb. 23, 2017.
THE DESIGN OF A GUITAR TUNER IS DISCUSSED IN
THIS PAPER. GUITAR TUNER IS A DEVICE THAT [3]"Standard tuning," in Wikipedia, Wikimedia
DETECTS AND DISPLAYS THE PITCH OF EACH OF THE Foundation,
STRINGS, SO WE HAVE TO KNOW THE IMPORTANT 2016[Online].Available:https://en.wikipedia.or
FACTORS INCLUDING THE FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY g/wiki/Standard_tuning. Accessed: Feb. 23,
OF EACH NOTES OF THE STRINGS. THE ADVANTAGE OF 2017.
THIS DEVICE IS THAT IT IS MORE ACCURATE AND HAS
FAST RESPONSE TIME ENOUGH TO ALLOW QUICK [4]Jeff Owens, ”Standard Tuning: How
TUNING. THE FOCUS OF THE DESIGN LIES IN EADGBE Came to Be,”[Online]. Available:
DEVELOPING A SUITABLE ALGORITHM TO ACCURATELY https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-talk/stan
DETECT THE FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY OF A PLUCKED dard-tuning-how-eadgbe-came-to-be
GUITAR STRING FROM ITS FREQUENCY SPECTRUM.

THE RESULT OF THE ANALYSIS AND THE SUGGESTED

[5]J. S. Adams, "Electronic guitar tuner -
ACTION IS THEN DISPLAYED ON THE LCD.
IEEE Xplore
SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE ASSOCIATED TUNING KNOB
document,"2017[Online].Available:http://ieeex
TURNS TO SHOW THE APPROXIMATE DEGREE BY WHICH
plore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumb
THE STRING HAS TO BE TIGHTENED OR LOOSENED TO
er=5344934. Accessed: Feb. 23, 2017.
ACHIEVE PERFECT TUNING.
[6]“Auto-Tune for Guitar by Antares - Perfect
Tuning, Perfect Intonation,” Auto-Tune for
Guitar by Antares - Perfect Tuning, Perfect
Intonation. [Online]. Available:
IX.RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE http://www.autotuneforguitar.com/.
STUDIES [Accessed: 23-Feb-2017].
THE FOLLOWING ARE RECOMMENDED FOR FUTURE
ENHANCEMENT OF THE PROJECT: [7]“ECGS Article : Tuning the Guitar,” ECGS
Article : Tuning the
A. MUCH ACCURATE READINGS OF THE Guitar[Online].Available:http://www.edmonton
FREQUENCY OF THE GUITAR classicalguitarsociety.org/articles/art003.php.
B. A BATTERY OPERATED GUITAR TUNER [Accessed: 01-Mar-2017].
 studying at the Technological Institute of the
(PROFILE) Philippines taking up Bachelor of Science in
Electronics Engineering.
Ryan Christopher B. Ang was born in the
City of Manila in 1995. He received his high
school diploma at Chang Kai Shek College
and currently studying at the Technological
Institute of the Philippines taking up Bachelor
of Science in Electronics Engineering.

Mark Andrew F. Cesar was born in

Romblon City in 1995. He received his high
school diploma at Romblon National High
School and currently studying at the
Technological Institute of the Philippines
taking up Bachelor of Science in Electronics
Engineering.
Emmanuel Joseph B. De Castro was
born in Las Piñas City in 1995. He received
his high school diploma at Holy Rosary
Academy of Las Piñas City and currently
studying at the Technological Institute of the
Philippines taking up Bachelor of Science in
Electronics Engineering.
Clarice S. Francisco was born in San
Luis, in the City of Pampangga in 1995. She
received her high school diploma at Team
Mission Christian School at Bulacan and
currently studying at the Technological
Institute of the Philippines taking up Bachelor
of Science in Electronics Engineering.
Ken Ivan D.C. Policarpio received his
diploma in HIgh School at Lourdes School
Quezon City and currently studying at the
Technological Institute of the Philippines
taking up Bachelor of Science in Electronics
Engineering. He was born in Al Gassim,
Saudi Arabia in 1996.

Gernie Angelique E. Trinidad was born in

Bambang in the CIty of Manila in 1995. She
received her high school diploma at Espiritu
Santo Parochial School, Manila and currently