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Tuning by ear (Page 2)
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The Steel Guitar Forum
Pedal Steel Archive
Tuning by ear (Page 2)
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| This topic is 2 pages long: 1 2 This topic was originally posted in this forum: Pedal Steel |
| Author | Topic: Tuning by ear |
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Gary Steele Member Posts: 1201 |
posted 19 September 2000 07:56 PM
Ricky, Yes the 490 auto strobe will tune as fine as you want it. They are unbeliveable. I got mine at Rock and Rythym music in Indiana for 389.00 which is over 100.00 cheaper than anyone. They have a toll free number i put it on here months ago. Thanks again. They are rack mountable or a handle. |
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Ricky Davis Moderator Posts: 6522 |
posted 19 September 2000 09:13 PM
Well if I spent that much on a tuner; I know my neighbor Jim Loessberg would probably trench my yard. I loved it when Jim got up on stage to perform at the Texas steel guitar convention; and hit a 2 dollar tuning fork on the side of his steel and tuned his push-pull Emmons that way and proceeded to play perfectly in tune and a great set as always. I'm working towards that  Ricky |
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Jerry Hayes Member Posts: 3306 |
posted 24 September 2000 12:02 PM
Jeff Newman once had an article where he said to take your steel and tune it by ear if that's your way and write the settings down. I did that and it was almost exactly like the chart he had at the time where you tuned the E's to 440 and the G#'s to 436.5. Anyway, I always seemed to be flat with the band when playing out of the open positions. Ear tuning is great for a few, but in the many years I've played with other musicians when a steeler sounds out of tune, he's usually an ear tuner! This isn't even open for discussion it's a fact! The human ear changes daily. different people can tune the same steel and when checked by a tuner they'd have different readings. Forget the ear stuff and use the technology of today and play in tune with the other guys for a change! ------------------ |
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Ricky Davis Moderator Posts: 6522 |
posted 25 September 2000 11:37 AM
Hey Jerry like you said in the first part of your post>if you tune to the E440 reference; like you said you did and you were flat to the band; than you will be flat to the band cause the A note "will" be flat(and I explained that in many of my previous post). I have heard players tune to the most expensive tuners/technology today and were out of tune also. I don't matter how you tune; if you don't have the ear or develope the ear to play in tune; than you won't. If you read my postings about tuning you will see it is mainly a promotion for developing the ear and hearing intonation; which one will never develope if they don't practice hearing notes singing together in harmony. So hearing notes singing in harmony is the basics of tuning the steel guitar and my postings are about where to start(A440) and how to develope the ear; which one can never do by tuning to a tuner and then playing. Now if someone already has a great since of intonation, all of this would be elementary to them and would have no problem playing in tune>however they tune. But this thread is about "Tuning by Ear" and not "Tuning to a Tuner" and I think it is important to explain ones instruction when giving advice; so I ask; how is someone to play in tune by tuning to a tuner and not using their ear to tune? Ricky |
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C Dixon Member Posts: 5912 |
posted 25 September 2000 12:27 PM
For those of you that like to use a tuner, check this out I like what I see in this tuner. It appears it just may be the Rolls-Royce of tuners. I am a tuner nut myself. Never could tune a PSG till I started using them. Now just love them. I realize of course that just like everything else, they are not for all. I envy Jerry Bryd who can tune a steel like no one on earth and what appears to my ears to be dead on perfect every time. BE can do it too. I don't have that talent, so I rely on technology to make up for my lack of talent. And for those of you that do have it, remember to thank HIM. It is really a gift. carl [This message was edited by C Dixon on 25 September 2000 at 12:28 PM.] |
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Chris Schlotzhauer Member Posts: 1217 |
posted 25 September 2000 02:23 PM
I must agree with Ricky on this one. I too was taught this by Gary Carpenter some years ago. I tune my E's with pedals down. That's all I use my tuner for. Then I chime out from there. The trick is chiming the 3rd string (G#) to the 5th. It takes a touch, but with practice you'll get it. After chiming the 3rd string properly, my A's with pedals down are 440. I was doing this in the studio with Lloyd Maines (producing), and he stopped me and asked me what I did with that 3rd string. I then explained the logic to him. He told me the last time I talked to him that he tried it and now he uses that method now exclusively. I think we need to name this "The Carpenter Tuning". |
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Jim Smith Member Posts: 6399 |
posted 25 September 2000 02:30 PM
quote:Chris, how do you tune those? I tune the 3rd string to the 4th by chiming 4 at the 4th fret and 3 at the 5th fret, but can't think of a combination of harmonics to tune 3 and 5. |
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Chris Schlotzhauer Member Posts: 1217 |
posted 26 September 2000 06:34 AM
(I hope this is right, I'm not looking at my neck). First I chime the 5th (at the 5th fret) to the 4th (at the 7th fret). This gets the 5th in tune with the E that you tuned pedals down. Then chime the 5th (at the 9th fret) to the 3rd (at the 7th fret). You now have the E, B, and G# tuned to chime out the rest of the neck. |
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Jim Smith Member Posts: 6399 |
posted 26 September 2000 06:47 AM
Thanks Chris. I've never tried to chime at the 9th fret. I'll try it and see if it's easier than chiming the 4th string at the 4th fret. |
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Ricky Davis Moderator Posts: 6522 |
posted 26 September 2000 11:04 AM
Yeah that chime Chris just metioned is alot easier to hear than the chiming that 5th and 4th fret thing. Chiming the 3rd string(3rd tone) to the 5th string is the way I tune the non-pedal steel to get the 3rd tone in tune with the root and 5th tones; and really works out better in hearing the strings singing in harmony together. Thanks Chris my brother for the insight and great advice we've learned from one of the greatest steel players on the planet(Gary Carpenter)ain't it? Ricky |
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Bob Hoffnar Member Posts: 4278 |
posted 26 September 2000 11:15 AM
I went over to Gary's house for a lesson after being blown away by his playing. The guy was practicing quarter tones when I walked up to his back door ! "If you can get these in tune those regular notes are easy" Unbelievable player ! Bob Chris and Ricky, Thanks for the coherent description of the way I have been tuning also. ------------------ [This message was edited by Bob Hoffnar on 26 September 2000 at 10:04 PM.] |
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Don Olson Member Posts: 139 |
posted 26 September 2000 04:56 PM
First get yourself a good tuner,then go to Jeff Newmans web site and copy his tuning chart.Buy some good instrution material that has a lot of scale work,get a good computer program such as Band in a Box to make your own rythum tracks,buy a good tape deck to record yourself and find a good vocal teacher and learn how to sing this, will train your ear like you can't believe.Then if you feel you want to drive yourself and the people around you crazy can tune by ear. Zum Steel Forever |
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