TUNING BY EAR???

mbgreen · Post by **mbgreen** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 12:53 am

I heard somewhere that if you write thread subjects in all caps, you physically cannot tune by ear. Some kinda genetic link. Dunno.

All kidding aside, you people are a wealth of detailed information.

taylordb · Post by **taylordb** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 5:35 am

Roastbeef wrote: Hmm. Knew about harmonic tuning but never tried this for the B string. I usually did the 4th fret method... Learn something new every day!

The problem with fretting one string to tune another...and I know it is anal...is that the fretted string is being stretched (by the fretting process) and is thus a slightly sharp reference note to tune to. By using the harmonic you are using a pure, unstretched string as a reference. Also, you really don't get the advantage of using the "beating" effect to tune when you fret the string.

I will have to say that using the 7th fret harmonic on the low E to tune the B string is probably the one I have the most trouble doing.

LizardHands · Post by **LizardHands** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 10:14 am

I learnt to hum A 440hz quite accuratly and then tune harmonically from there, then just quickly check every string to the 5th string to make sure everythings completely accurate. Easy

thejoe · Post by **thejoe** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:55 pm

taylordb wrote:
Roastbeef wrote: Hmm. Knew about harmonic tuning but never tried this for the B string. I usually did the 4th fret method... Learn something new every day!
The problem with fretting one string to tune another...and I know it is anal...is that the fretted string is being stretched (by the fretting process) and is thus a slightly sharp reference note to tune to. By using the harmonic you are using a pure, unstretched string as a reference. Also, you really don't get the advantage of using the "beating" effect to tune when you fret the string.

I will have to say that using the 7th fret harmonic on the low E to tune the B string is probably the one I have the most trouble doing.

yeah... but... when you play you fret the notes, so it works out

and when you play you generally strum harder than when you tune, so that pulls the string out of tune by just its vibrating... i can especially notice this on my electric with lighter gauge strings

so youre right, but...

taylordb · Post by **taylordb** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 3:24 pm

crash_in_to_me wrote:
yeah... but... when you play you fret the notes, so it works out

and when you play you generally strum harder than when you tune, so that pulls the string out of tune by just its vibrating... i can especially notice this on my electric with lighter gauge strings

so youre right, but...

True...but the problem with using the fret method is you tune the A string to the fretted Low E (which is slightly out of tune due to the fretting), then the D string to the fretted A string...and so on..by the time you get to the high E string you have an accumulation of "out of tuneness" (if that is a word). By the harmonic method it is truely tuned.

Again, I know it sounds anal...but I guess I'm just picky about tuning.

PureDaveAddict · Post by **PureDaveAddict** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 11:52 pm

isaac wrote:it's what i do. i usually take a familiar song that i've played so many times and i can tell if it's a little off. just takes time and practice.

my song is PNP, its really easy to find a hidious tuning job in that baby.

and for developing a good tuning ear, all you can do is play play play, it'll just naturally come to you. I played piano for 5 years when i was young and I can tune a guitar almost perfectly without a tuner, while my sister cant tell a G# from an Ab! (haha, joke, but what i mean is that she cant tune worth a damn)

-jtc

grock · Post by **grock** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 10:39 am

it is impossible to have a guitar that is exactly in tune. if you got the time here is an interesting read about tuning and the difficulties inherent in guitar and other fretted instruments. it's really enlightening.

http://www.endino.com/archive/tuningnightmares.html

i would recommend this to all mid level and up guitarists.

taylordb · Post by **taylordb** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:35 pm

Its allot to read (and I'm at work right now), but I was able to skim it and found that my original post in this thread may be wrong

. I'll be sure to look this article over very carefully. Thanks grock for posting this.

Now, one thing that I did get out of my "skimming" the article is that even though it may be impossible to have a guitar exactly in tune, that doesn't mean we should throw in the towel..it is still something to strive for.

grock · Post by **grock** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:03 pm

basically the only way to be perfectly in tune would be specific to each key. so if you ever wanted to change keys, the guitar would sound way out of tune. basically you compromise perfect tune for versatility and being able to play in multiple keys.

of course we should be as close as possible to in tune. word to ya mother. but the slight dissonance in chords is what makes a 12 string guitar sound so full and what makes an orchestra sounds so massive and all.

i am kinda upset with this article cuz it does start you on being able to notice how often some of the greatist recordings were out of perfect tune. but i guess that is some of why they are so great.