If you are a guitarist and like staying in tune, then you definitely need a tuner. It can be the one on your amplifier, on your phone, or clipped to your guitar itself.
I don’t need to explain to you why you need a tuner, so what I will get into- in this short article, is why you might need a clip-on tuner. It’s more of a necessity than a luxury for most musicians, so you should be aware of the options you’ve got.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Table of Contents
What is a clip-on tuner?
Clip-on tuners are simply those tuners that clip onto the guitar’s headstock. These are more convenient to use than traditional tuners as you can put them on top of your guitar and the process becomes much more intuitive.
Regardless of whether you are playing a note or a bunch of notes, it comes in handy when you are trying to figure out the pitch of what is being played.
There are a bunch of tunings like the Open D, Open C, DADGAD, and the one we most commonly use is the standard- EADGBE tuning. The frequencies for each note are measured in Hertz- and if you are following the convention, you should set the frequencies to E – 82.4 Hz, A – 110 Hz, D – 146.83 Hz, G – 196 Hz, B – 246.94 Hz, and E – 329.63 Hz.
One thing that you would like to know is that most of the guitars follow 440Hz. You can also try using the 432 Hz frequencies if you want a different sound. Which one you like is really a personal preference but I find that sticking to the standard is a good idea as it makes it easier for other members in your band to play.
If you want a tuning that’s good for playing heavy and aggressive stuff, a tuning where the bottom strings are down-tuned- like the Drop C or tuned a whole step down is a great idea.
How a clip-on tuner works is actually super simple to get used to – you just play a string, and the tuner tells you what note you are playing. Depending on the tuner model, you may get the exact frequency of the note being played or you might be greeted with an interface that shows if you are a bit sharp/flat from the standard pitch.
Personally, the kind of tuners that I like is called chromatic tuners- these show the frequency of the note being played, and if you know the tuning of your instrument, you can use the same tuner to tune up guitars, basses, ukuleles, banjo as well as violins. You can use the same tuner to tune any string instrument which is a great thing.
Why do you need a clip-on tuner?
There are many reasons why you need a clip-on tuner. If you are a guitarist who picks up your instrument on a regular basis, you know the value of keeping your strings in tune.
Ear training
Ear training is an essential skill for any musician. You need to be able to identify intervals, scale degrees, and recreate melodic phrases on your instrument effortlessly. This may seem intimidating at first but it gets easier with practice- and over time, it will feel second nature to play along to anything you’re humming.
If you pick up your guitar and play without tuning every single time, you are messing with own progress that you’ve already made in the ear training department. If you practice on an instrument in tune, it’s super easy to get used to what the notes in a scale sound like, and you’ll also have an easier time memorizing the sounds.
Harmonizing
You may not consider yourself as somebody who is deep into the harmonization stuff, and chances are- you may not know what harmonizing means. It just means adding notes on top of each other, and that happens any time you are playing with somebody else.
If you are playing a chord, you are using the major third interval and adding a fifth on top of that. Such harmonies can sound like crap if one of your strings is out of tune. If one of the band members is out of tune, it can kill the joy out of improved sessions.
Do you want your audience to hear out-of-tune harmonies? Probably not. Staying in time and staying in tune are two of the most valuable skills a musician can have- and if you get a tuner, it completely takes care of your tuning-related issues.
The 7 Best Clip On Guitar Tuner
What We Like
I find that Fender produces amazing quality equipment and I’m not talking about just guitars and amps, the brand also offers impeccable quality accessories like tuners and pedals and cables, and everything else you can imagine.
At the top of the list, the Fender Original tuner is a clip-on tuner as the name suggests, and it’s also the most stylish out of the list- sporting the red fiesta look gorgeously.
If there is one thing that I don’t like about the fender clip-on tuner you need to change the batteries on this period as they do run out of charge after a while. It might last for years if you don’t play often, but if you find yourself turning up your guitar every once in a while, the batteries certainly won’t last for a very long time.
If you are concerned about the display, which is a super important thing – you are getting a bright LED display that means you won’t have any problems discerning the pitch or the name of the note that’s being played.
If you are flat, the screen shows red near the bottom, and the red is shown near the top of the tuner if you are sharp. Once you are in tune, the entire screen turns green which does make sense!
You can also use any tuning frequency between 430 and 450 Hertz which can be great if you like playing the 432 Hz frequencies instead of the standard 440 Hz.
The way you would operate this tuner is super easy- and you use the power button to turn the tuner on and off. Since there are no modes included with this, you can rest assured that you won’t be confused by the bells and whistles. If you are a beginner with good taste, getting this tuner would be great!
As is the case with many budget tuners, you aren’t getting rechargeable batteries. The Fender clip-on tuner also works on non-rechargeable coin batteries which just means that you need to keep spares nearby. But the LED on the screen does fade over time, so you will know when it’s time to change the batteries.
If you are worried about running out of charge, you will be happy to know that there is an auto-off feature on this that works like a charm. You will be even happier to know that the tuner works well with instruments like ukulele, guitar, bass, violin as well as any stringed instruments you can imagine.
What We Think
The Korg Sledgehammer Pro is a modern tuner for the resourceful guitarist.
There are many things unique about the Sledgehammer Pro by the popular brand Korg, and of the things that you will love is the cylindrical design of the tuner. There is a curved screen on this which gives off a futuristic look and feel to this tuner.
If you are going to be using this tuner to tune your guitar in dark environments or in the stage, you will find the bright screen on this very helpful. It also works great in the daylight, so that’s great.
As for the construction, the tuner is built with tough materials that will last you a long period of time. You are not getting rechargeable batteries which would have been a welcome addition, but the price doesn’t allow that. You do get the batteries included which is nice.
One of the most remarkable things about this tuner, and why I like this so much – is because you are getting an amazing degree of accuracy. You are getting 0.1 cent accuracy which is pretty good, right?
What We Think
Though the tuners on this list are very affordable- if you don’t have a lot of budgets to spare, and would much rather have a cheap tuner, you will happy with the Ammoon clip-on tuner.
Do you like tuners that can pivot 360-degrees? The ability to rotate like that makes the Ammoon clip-on tuner easier to see regardless of your viewing angle which is great.
What I like the most about this tuner is the fact that this same tuner can be used to tune guitars, basses, ukuleles, violins as well as anything that’s got a string. You can also go chromatic with this, which is great. You can also tune drums with this as you can tune pretty much anything with a chromatic tuner.
If there is one thing that I don’t like about this tuner, it’s the fact that you are not getting a LED screen which is understandable as the tuner is dirt-cheap. The batteries on this are the standard coin –type that you can find and replace very easily.
Considering the fact that this tuner is actually one of the cheapest tuners in the market, the fact that you can tune multiple instruments with this tuner is pretty amazing.
If you are used to displays that show red and yellow, you will be surprised to know that this tuner actually has a blue color and it shows whether you are sharp or flat by the needle movement. It does show green if you are in tune, so that’s great.
Like premium tuners, the Ammoon tuner also turns off automatically after three minutes of inactivity.
What We Think
You may have been living under a rock if you don’t know about Boss level of quality. The brand always delivers incredible value when it comes to products that matter.
The TU series by Boss is one of the most loved tuner series in the market- and if you’re in a pinch, just get the TU-2 tuner by Boss- it not only saves you a lot of time but also provides you a fantastic deal for your money.
When you actually turn on the tuner, you will be greeted by a bright and easy-to-read screen that shows the pitch currently being played. The tuner may be cheap but the build quality on this is actually premium.
What I like the most about the Boss TU-2 tuner is the fact that it has a rubber pad which definitely won’t leave any marks on your guitar even after years of use. The +- 1 cent accuracy on this is decent for a beginner or an intermediate.
What We Think
If you are looking for a cheap and affordable guitar tuner with a clean interface, you will love the Neuma guitar tuner for its fantastic offering.
The tuner rotates a full-360 turn around the pivot which means that you don’t need to remove the tuner from your instrument while the bass player is using your tuner to tune. You also get a LED display which is very handy for tuning your instrument in the dark. This may not seem like a huge deal and your bass player may not be somebody to steal stuff- but the guitar community has got plenty of people who would much rather keep a tuner that’s not theirs.
You can use this tuner for many different instruments including guitars, violins, ukuleles, banjos, and pretty much anything else. If you are tuning on a violin or a bass, the tuning would be GDAE, and if you are on a guitar, you can try EADGBE which is standard tuning.
I also like the fact that you can easily use either the 430 or 440 or 450Hz or any frequencies in between. One of the things that I like the best about this handy tuner is the fact that not only does the tuner have a slightly bigger screen than most tuners out there, but it also has an auto-off feature which means that the tuner turns off automatically if you let it stay idle for more than 5 minutes. This feature is only good if you’re at home in a quiet environment- if you’re on stage and the tuner is on, it won’t switch off automatically as it still receives feedback from your guitar.
As for the control on this, you get a power button which also serves as a handy button for switching between the modes available. Just press the power button for a couple of seconds and it will turn the tuner off. It’s super simple and you will get used to the process in no time at all.
If you’re used to the tuner on your phone, you will find that this tuner also offers a display quite similar- and shows the strings you are playing. If you’re tuning your fifth string, it will show whether you are flat or sharp as well. Red color shows up if you’re slightly sharp in pitch and yellow shows up if you are flat.
If you’re all done tuning and are perfectly in tune, it shows green which is always a good indicator.
Worried about the construction on this? The 18 months warranty by Neuma has got you covered in case you need it. You do need to replace the batteries after they’re dead but that’s like a minor inconvenience at best- and if you’ve got spares handy, you can replace them any time you like. Peace of mind is super nice, and I would highly recommend that you get a clip-on tuner with a warranty if you are looking for one.
What We Think
Looking for a tuner that you don’t need to replace batteries on? The Lekato clip-on tuner is a fantastic tuner that features a rechargeable battery and it’s got a USB port so you can easily charge it by plugging it into an adapter or your device.
Not only is the aesthetic of this appealing, but you also get the auto-off feature as well as a crisp and clear display for a cheap price.
If there is one thing that I would like to add to this, having a mode to tune basses would be great, but since I don’t play bass much, it wouldn’t be much of an issue for me. It does mean that the bassist in my band would need to bring his own tuner which is good too.
The Lekato clip-on tuner also has plenty of features that are very helpful to you. You get a 360-degree rotating capability and the tuner lasts for as long as ten hours on a single charge. There are other things too, but the best feature of this, in my opinion- is the fact that this shows the amount of charge remaining in the batteries.
It’s not to get started using this tuner either- the tuner shows yellow if you are flat, and red if you’re sharper than the note you are trying to tune to. If you are in tune, it shows blue (instead of the green you would get on any other tuner)
One of the best things about this is that you are also getting Piezo which is a technology used on microphones for crisp sound. This is great for removing background noise in the sound input of the tuner and that just means improved tuning accuracy.
Do you play multiple instruments? The Lekato tuner has got you covered with tuning options for guitar, violin, and ukulele, and you can also use it as a chromatic tuner which is actually the most appealing feature for me.
If you like playing in drop tunings, you will find that the tuner also supports tunings like Drop D, Drop C, and open E, as well as flat tuning.
As for the controls, you get a single button that serves as both the power button and a toggle to switch between modes.
Final Thoughts
There are many budget tuners available in the market, and even if you don’t play your instrument much, it can be a good idea to invest on a decent tuner so you don’t need to have a phone or an amp with you every time you want to play your guitar. For musicians, especially bass players, considering other essential gear like headphones for bass guitar can significantly improve practice and monitoring.
If you like to change tunings every while in a while, it’s a great idea to invest on a clip-on tuner that gives you the capability to do so. If you just want a budget tuner that’s worth every penny, just get the Lekato or the Fender clip-on tuner. These offer great value for the money, really.
I hope that this post has helped you in some way. You don’t need to surf anywhere else- just take your pick- and decide whether or not this would be suited for your needs, and you are done.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best clip-on guitar tuner?
There are many tuners that offer amazing features but I find that the Lekato clip-on tuner offers the best features. If you want the best one on a budget, you can get the Boss TU-2 tuner which is an absolute beast for the cheap asking price.
Can you tune a bass guitar with a guitar tuner?
It depends- some brands do come with bass tuners in-built but others do not. The best way to know if a tuner will work for bass and other instruments is to read the description for ‘chromatic tuner’. Being a chromatic tuner just means that it shows all the frequencies being played.
If you get a chromatic tuner, you can be pretty sure that it can be used for a variety of instruments including bass, banjo, guitar and ukulele unless the brand themselves state that it cannot be used as such.
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