How many folks still tune by ear?

[fastblueheeler]

your ears are a very handy tool for such.. especially if say a tuner needs a new battery and that would be the end of the line for many here LOL

It would be the end of the line for me. I didn't even know you could tune by ear til I started reading this thread.

[Tartanlad]

It would be the end of the line for me. I didn't even know you could tune by ear til I started reading this thread.

A cannae tune by ear fbh either..just use a tuner a do also

[baldbloke]

As fir ma last post give me a COP fir THAT

 

Tart, please light a flare and place it in your garden tonight so the vulcan bomber I have ordered doesn't drop the bombs on your neighbours house instead.

[riffmeister]

Well thats for you.. but if playing in pubs in my country then you wouldnt be able to hear to be able to tune by ear

I play out a lot. I still tune by ear. I must be a freak!

[Tartanlad]

Tart, please light a flare and place it in your garden tonight so the vulcan bomber I have ordered doesn't drop the bombs on your neighbours house instead.

Baldbloke .. It's Clydebank in Scotland whom had the blitz

is that still ingrained in yer head to mention about bombs

fae yer school days in Clydebank ?

[Tartanlad]

I play out a lot. I still tune by ear. I must be a freak!

you are saying such.. not me but must be quiet enough

where you play a guess..either that you have extra senses

[Chordchunker]

Unless the gig/room/etc is really noisey, I tune by ear. Since I don't have perfect pitch, a tuner can come in handy when needing an A440.

This^. Also if I`m playing with others I want to be as in tune as I can. So I start with a tuner and finish it with my ear as the guitar is not in perfect 4ths..

This is interesting reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_tunings

[Opa John]

I'll use a clip on to get in the ballpark and then fine tune by ear. The tuner doesn't know what key you're about to play in, or how worn your frets are... The ear is much more accurate. But in a loud room it's hard to beat clip on.

 

 

Same here; and up until two years ago I didn't have an electronic tuner at all. Always tuned by ear.....never a problem. If I can get someone to "give me an E", I can still tune up quicker by ear than with a tuner.

 

The only time I use a tuner at home is on that first "tune up" after a string change.

 

BTW, I don't know for sure, but I don't think banjo players are allowed to own an electronic tuner.

[Tartanlad]

BTW, I don't know for sure, but I don't think banjo players are allowed to own an electronic tuner.

 

 

A guess Banjo players can use a certain tuner but not a guitar tuner

 

possibly the same as a mando..as strings are similar a think ?

[DarkHorseJ27]

Gobsmacked I am. Gobsmacked. So what age group thinks tuning by ear is a mystical art?

 

 

Its just some of the 25 and under group in the dorm I live in. But I don't think they are representative of all

[Chordchunker]

A guess Banjo players can use a certain tuner but not a guitar tuner possibly the same as a mando..as strings are similar a think ?

 

 

With a chromatic tuner you can tune anything..

[Chordchunker]

I played with a really good mando player that just refused to use a tuner/tuning fork/pitch pipe..Guess what? He was ALWAYS out of tune.. His ear wasn`t as good as HE thought it was. Made the whole band sound off.

[jandrew]

Although I have a few electronic tuners, I stick with my A-fork for a reference tone and tune by ear.

cheers,
andrew

[seagullplayer77]

Although I have a few electronic tuners, I stick with my A-fork for a reference tone and tune by ear. cheers, andrew

I knew a guy who tuned this way. He'd whack the tuning fork against his music stand, stick it in his mouth, and bite down on it. He claimed that the pitch was so clear that he could hear it even if a dump truck went hauling down the street.

I don't know if it was that loud, but it is proven science that vibrations in your teeth work their way up to your ears through the bones in your face. They've tinkered around with implantable cell phone receivers in the shape of molars, but the idea never caught on. Receiving calls was never a problem, but talking to the person on the other end of the line was hard .

[FretFiend.]

...How many folks these days rely solely on electronic tuners? Is tuning by ear going out of fashion?

How many of us do a lot of tuning by ear, since the advent of the electronic tuner?

Having an electronic device that does a job for you, tends to cause your skills at doing that job manually, to atrophy.

How many of us do a lot of simple math with pencil and paper, since the advent of the calculator?

An additional question is, how many of us "sweeten" the tuning a little after we've used the electronic tuner? Most of us should be doing that. Some tuners have a rather loose pitch tolerance (IOW, they lie to you... they say you are on pitch, when you aren't). And, unless your guitar has perfect intonation, the pitch of fretted notes will be off to some degree.

Just gracing everyone with the utter and profound displeasure of my presence.

[jandrew]

I knew a guy who tuned this way. He'd whack the tuning fork against his music stand, stick it in his mouth, and bite down on it. He claimed that the pitch was so clear that he could hear it even if a dump truck went hauling down the street.

 

 

I prefer to just knock it on my knee and hold the ball end against the bridge -- plenty loud that way and you don't get that vibration against the teeth thing (ick).

 

cheers,

andrew

[Opa John]

A guess Banjo players can use a certain tuner but not a guitar tuner possibly the same as a mando..as strings are similar a think ?

 

 

Tart, I think you missed my comment ref. banjo players and electronic tuners. An electronic chromatic tuner can be used on just about any stringed instrument. Mine even works great on my fiddle if I can keep it clipped onto the peg box. Sometimes I just clip it to the chin rest instead.

[GuitarCol]

I will tell you that I got better at tuning by ear as I got older. My favorite tips:

- I stay away from harmonics because of previously mentioned reasons.
- if tuning with fingered strings, beware of pressing too hard, cuz it distorts the pitch
- tune up from below the pitch you're aiming for, cause if you tune down to the target pitch, the string is more likely to slip a little lower
- Electronic tuners can be touchy too... let the string reach steady state, as it starts a little sharp, so I tend to hit it over and over/double check the readout

[Misha]

I use a tuner but fine tune by ear. I hate it when a guitar is out of tune. When I ear the oscillation caused by a string slightly out of tune over the frequency of other strings it makes me go ga-ga... (Not Lady Gaga...)

(Is my explanation "Engrish" enough??

[10ae1203]

I have an e tuning fork, and the idea of holding it between my teeth gives me the shudders.

 

No tuner. no batteries. no performing out of the house.

[jim holland]

I would echo the comments already made. I would add, that electronic tuners are a must in a noisy environment, or when folks need a concensus. But the best, sweetest music is made when the players (can hear and..) tune together, by ear. Pubs and festivals make it hard to achieve the latter.

[Opa John]

I will tell you that I got better at tuning by ear as I got older. My favorite tips: - I stay away from harmonics because of previously mentioned reasons. - if tuning with fingered strings, beware of pressing too hard, cuz it distorts the pitch - tune up from below the pitch you're aiming for, cause if you tune down to the target pitch, the string is more likely to slip a little lower - Electronic tuners can be touchy too... let the string reach steady state, as it starts a little sharp, so I tend to hit it over and over/double check the readout

 

 

All good tips, but I'd like to add just one more to the list.

 

When tuning with an electronic tuner don't use a pick on the strings. Use your finger tip and a very light touch. The tuner will pick up the vibration even when your ears can't hear the sound.....and the tuner will give you a truer indication of the string's actual pitch if you use a light touch. I've found this results in a lot less tweaking after you've tuned up with the tuner.

 

And if super light touch doesn't work for ya, you might want to think about getting a better guitar!

[Terry Allan Hall]

I carry a tuner to gigs, plus my Digitech VL2 has a built in tuner, but I prefer to get in tune by playing an "A" on my "A" harmonica, and tuning relative to that.

[Chordchunker]

I carry a tuner to gigs, plus my Digitech VL2 has a built in tuner, but I prefer to get in tune by playing an "A" on my "A" harmonica, and tuning relative to that.

 

 

Terry I did this for many years as my brother (best country blues harp player I`ve ever heard barring Sonny Terry) and I had had an acoustic blues duo for many years, but sometimes (as you know) harps are just not in tune...even brand new ones.. Used to drive me freakin` crazy(ier)!! lol Seems like "A" harps especially are bad about this and are just a tad flat..

[Opa John]

Terry I did this for many years as my brother (best country blues harp player I`ve ever heard barring Sonny Terry) and I had had an acoustic blues duo for many years, but sometimes (as you know) harps are just not in tune...even brand new ones.. Used to drive me freakin` crazy(ier)!! lol Seems like "A" harps especially are bad about this and are just a tad flat..

 

 

Well.........did ya tell your brother he was just a tad sharp?