How to tune a guitar

[P Batty]

There's a discussion at Metafilter about how to tune a guitar:

http://music.metafilter.com/5681/Garage-band-guitar-tuner-is-just-plain-wrong#29541

The method works well for me- at least as good as a electronic tuner and the g string seems to have better temper.

Anyone else use this?  Or any other "by ear" method?

[G._Hoffman]

I tune my A string to a tuning fork, and then tune each strings' fretted A to the open A string.  Once that is done, I play a six string E power chord (open low E, 7th Fret on the A string, 9th fret on the D and G strings, and 12th Fret on the B and high E string), and adjust as required (usually, the B and high E strings need to be raised just a smidge, which kind of stretches the tuning similar to what they do with pianos).


Gabriel

[John]

I use a $20 Snark.

[jjasilli]

I agree that the temper tuning method is the best, provided that the guitar is set-up with perfect intonation at the 12th fret.  If so, the strings are in tune with each other, and chords sound angelic.  But w/o perfect intonation, there's less benefit.  Also I find it hard to do at live gigs.

I too am plagued by seemingly psychotic electronic tuners.

[Platefire]

The first method I ever learned/used that stayed with me a lot of years was to get big E in tune(or close to standard pitch) and then follow up with fingering the big E in the fifth fret to tune the adjacent A and so on moving to the next string in the fifth fret for D,G then B you have to finger the the G string in the forth fret for the B and then for the little E fingering the B string back in the 5 fifth fret again. Of course its easy to make accumulative mistakes this way!! I know Jimi Hendrix even used this because I heard it time after time on his live recordings brushing up his tuning between songs.

In the 70's I used a pitch pipe for guitars. It's kind of stupid and plain awkward blowing the pitch pipe holding it in your mouth, picking a string and twisting a tuning key all at the same time. If you never tried it you need to and you will really appreciate your electronic tuner.  

When I started playing clubs usually with a keyboard player, you had to tune to the keyboard by ear----tune to an electronic tuner all you want but if the keyboard or house's acoustic piano is flat, you will sound out with it--especially acoustic pianos drift if not tuned up reguarly. But normally most modern keyboards are dead on standard and you can tune with your electronic tuner and be right on the money with the keyboard in most cases.

The first electonic tuner I got in 1981 and still have is a Justina that you have to change a slide switch for each different string and it has a meter with a actual needle that lines up in the center.

I now use the Boss TU-2 pedal when I'm using my pedalboard and use a Sabine Clip on when not.
Believe me it is a luxury to be able to tune silently between songs without disturbing anyone. This use to be impossible. Platefire

[HotBluePlates]

Most of the time, I tune the high E to some reference pitch, and then tune the other strings by ear while playing 4ths (E & B, G & D, D & A, etc). Often, I wind up splitting the difference with the 3rd between the G & B.

I'll have to try the all E's method or Gabe's method. I do have a (electronic) strobotuner, but it's at my folk's house right now. There's a pretty good sweetened guitar tuning on it.

[jjasilli]

If you really want to go crazy, checkout this:  http://www.truetemperament.com/site/index.php

[G._Hoffman]

If you really want to go crazy, checkout this:  http://www.truetemperament.com/site/index.php

Remarkably bad idea.

First of all, try to imagine bending notes when the fret is bent.

Second, there isn't really one "in-tune."  A third needs to be just a touch sharper than a fifth - i.e., the B for an E chord is a bit flatter than the the B for a G chord, and it is actually even more complicated than that, because it also depends on the key you are in, and a note's function in that key.  So, it will only sound "right" in one key.

Finally third, you can't properly dress those frets, because there is no way to crown them properly.  What that means - and the recordings of their guitars I've heard bear me out here - is those guitars will always be prone to buzzing.


Gabriel

[jjasilli]

First of all, try to imagine bending notes when the fret is bent.  Did you checkout the videos?  Fingering and bending seem to work fine.  It certainly must look weird though.  I do think it would cause cognitive dissonance to watch your own fingers, at least for a while.

Finally third, you can't properly dress those frets, because there is no way to crown them properly.  Yes, I was wondering about the shape of their fret dressing files!   

[simonallaway]

I use the "all E" method and it's the best compromise I've found so far. I like my Polytune too...it's very fast at "grabbing the note"

[Willabe]

Dohh! I wish you would have told me sooner, I just bought a ton of stock in the company.              

Makes me dizzy just looking at the photo's.


Oh to be a slide player, fret's on your finger.   


        Brad




       

[Satellite^Guy]

I downloaded a free tuner app on my Android-based phone. Seems as accurate as any electronic tuner I've ever used. It's called gStrings Free.

[RicharD]

I had never used a tuner until recently.  I can usually pull an A outta thin air and run on from there.  Recently I download "datuner" for Android.  It's alright IMO. 

[six el six]

Buzz Feiten anyone?

[HotBluePlates]

But at least 1/2 of Feiten's system is a specific tempered tuning. I defy you to pick out a couple cents sharp/flat by ear. It can, however, be easily done with a tuner, especially one which allows a user-programmed tuning.

[G._Hoffman]

Buzz Feiten anyone?

No.  Total waste of time. 

It's not that he doesn't have some of his physics right, it's just that his "system" only really works if you use a few pretty common chord shapes.  Which aren't the ones I use, I'm afraid.


Gabriel

[plexi50]

Crazy as this may sound i use HEY JOE from Hendrix as a reference on the low E.  Sometimes the radio stations back then played the song at different speeds

[rafe]

You can Tune a guitar....You can tuna fish

[Iannone]

First of all, try to imagine bending notes when the fret is bent.  Did you checkout the videos?  Fingering and bending seem to work fine.  It certainly must look weird though.  I do think it would cause cognitive dissonance to watch your own fingers, at least for a while.

Finally third, you can't properly dress those frets, because there is no way to crown them properly.  Yes, I was wondering about the shape of their fret dressing files!   

Not to mention the cost of a refret.javascript:void(0);