You don't really need a good ear for tuning. Pick up a tuner, they're pennies nowadays. When you're tuning by "ear", though, the trick is, on an acoustic guita

You don't really need a good ear for tuning. Pick up a tuner, they're pennies nowadays. When you're tuning by "ear", though, the trick is, on an acoustic guitar at least, to feel the body resonating. It's much more a feeling than a particular sound. I think very few people can just pluck an E note out of nowhere. That takes years of practice. A general "ear" for melody and harmony comes from practice, exposure to different music styles, and playing with other people. Some stuff that sounds awful by yourself sounds much better with accompanying instruments.