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Music Tuning a six string:
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Author | Topic: Tuning a six string: |
Pete Burak Member From: Portland, OR USA |
posted 25 November 2001 06:47 PM
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I came across this article and thought some folks might find it interesting/helpfull. ~pb The following is a reprint of THE GUILD OF AMERICAN LUTHIERS data sheet #45.
You must accept this compromise because the guitar is an instrument of fixed pitch and the strings must be tuned to tempered intervals, not pure. Equal temperament is the name given to a system of dividing the chromatic scale into 12 equal half steps. Guitarists who have been trying to tune to one or another pure chord form must learn to understand and accept equal temperament. (They might be interested to know that to approximate pure chords on all forms would require about three dozen frets within the octave.) The system of equal temperament reduces the number to twelve, thereby making manageable all instruments of fixed pitch. Here is what all of this means to the guitarist: You must not, at any time, use harmonic tones at the 7th fret as a point of reference (skilled piano tuners could use them because they know how many beats to introduce between 4th and 5th). Harmonic tones at the 7th fret are pure 5ths, while in equal temperament each 5th must be lowered slightly. To tune by harmonics at the 7th fret (as occasionally ill-advised) will make the guitar sound entirely unacceptable on some chord forms. On the other hand, all harmonics at the 12th and 5th frets, being one and two octaves above the open strings, are immediately useful as explained below. All octaves and unisons are pure on all instruments of fixed pitch. Actually this discussion and the following suggestions are for those players who have been tuning to pure intervals. When the steps have been followed correctly the guitar will be as perfectly tuned as it could be in the hands of a professional. Nevertheless, when you have finished, your sensitive ear may notice that on each major chord form there is always one tone slightly high. If you start adjusting a particular string on a certain chord form, you only compound the problem because then the next chord form will be completely objectionable. Tune the guitar as instructed below and let it stand. How to help your ear accept equal temperament: It is easier to face a problem if we are prepared in advance and expect it. If you are one of those That troublesome second string: Play an open position A major chord. Listen to the C# on the second string and you may want to lower it slightly. Play a first position C chord and listen to the E on the first string and fourth string at 2. These tones are slightly higher than your ear would like. Now play an open position G chord. Listen to B on the second string. Yes, it would sound a little better if lowered ever so slightly. Why not try it? Slack off the second string a couple of vibrations and notice what beautiful G chord results. Now play the C chord and with that lowered second string, and you are going to dislike the rough C and E a lot more than before. Take the open B, second string back up to equal temperament so that it will be equally acceptable on all forms. Learn to expect and accept the slight PROCEDURE: Tuning the 1st and 6th strings: The E, open 1st string, must be in pure unison with the harmonic of the E, 6th string at the fifth fret. When these two strings have been properly tuned with each other, continue as follows. Tuning the 2nd string: Play a harmonic on the (in tune) 4th string at twelve. As this sounds, adjust the 2nd string until D at the third fret is in pure unison. As you have used two fretted tones for references and as the Tuning the 3rd string: As it is easier to adjust a string while listening to a continuous reference tone, you may first try the following: Play a harmonic on the (in tune) 4th string at twelve and as this sounds, adjust Double check: Now make this check to see if you have been accurate or if the instrument plays tune when fretted at seven. Play a harmonic on the (now tuned) G string at twelve, and as this tone sounds, play G on the 1st string at three. The two tones should be in pure unison. If they are not, either you are at fault or the instrument doesn’t fret tune at seven. Go back to the beginning and carefully check each step up to this point. If the tones are still faulty, then readjust the 3rd string until the harmonic at twelve is in unison with the 1st at three. Do not tamper with the 1st and 4th strings because it is the 3rd string you are trying to bring in tune. When Tuning the 5th string: Play the tone A on the (in tune) 3rd string, at the second fret. Listen to this pitch carefully and now adjust the 5th string until the harmonic at twelve is in pure unison. When the foregoing steps are ************* |
Jerry Hayes Member From: Virginia Beach, Va. |
posted 26 November 2001 03:52 PM
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Dang, I just plug my old Tele into my Boss chromatic tuner and tune everything up to 440 and it sounds great to me. This is done in about 30 seconds for the whole process too! ------------------ |
Pete Burak Member From: Portland, OR USA |
posted 26 November 2001 06:46 PM
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I found it interesting that other instuments share our tuning plight. I remember reading the "tuning by harmonics" directions in Winnie Winstons book. It seemed cruel and unusual at the time, and still does . ~pb |
Michael Johnstone Member From: Sylmar,Ca. USA |
posted 26 November 2001 07:15 PM
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A guitar player named Buzzy Feiten has developed a method which involves moving the nut slightly and then stretch tempering the whole neck like a piano tuner stretches the octaves on a piano,and it works well.An easier and less invasive approach - and one I use on my G&L ASAT,is an adjustable,staggered nut made by EarVana(around $35)which retrofits on any guitar and fits right in the stock nut slot without cutting any of the fingerboard away.It's not a new concept because I saw a Micro-Frets guitar in the early 70s w/something like that.The idea is that the staggered nut compensates for the variable sharpness incurred when you push strings of different diameters down to the fret - in a way that is more effective than just having a tune-a-matic bridge by itself.After installing the EarVana nut,you just set the bridge intonation normally and tune the guitar straight up to 440.I thought that guitar played real in tune before,and it took me a while to get used to how much more in tune it was up and down the neck - especially "inside" chords on strings 3,4,5&6. Now if somebody would just make some inexpensive aftermarket thing like that for steel.............. -MJ- |
Jack Stoner Sysop From: Inverness, Florida |
posted 27 November 2001 04:32 AM
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Michael, the MicroFrets guitar had an adjustable nut on the 3rd (G) string. The theory being the 3rd string was the hardest one to get in tune. I saw a lot of those guitars as they were made in Frederick, MD and I was living in Laurel, MD at the time. |
Robert Member From: Champaign, IL |
posted 27 November 2001 03:24 PM
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Hey: It works! I checked it out on a Gibson acoustic - since I've never been able to tamper with the intonation (as I'll occasionally do on the electric guitars)- it makes a good test vehicle. Even the pesky "G" sounded good. I will add, though, that since I've been tuning in fretted octaves for a long time now - the guitar came out of the case very close to in tune without my touching a machine. In print, the procedure looks more cumbersome than it really is, and once practiced, could be done inside of thirty seconds. It does, however, seem to rely on a person having a good reference pitch for "E" - like a fork. My tuning fork is an "A" Rob Yale |
Rich Paton Member From: Santa Maria, CA., |
posted 29 November 2001 07:50 AM
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I read the article about ten years ago, and for me it has made tuning easier and my guitars (just two) sound better. You don't absolutely have to start with the "E" strings. If your reference is "A" (I use the "note" option @ A=440 on a Casio pocket electronic metronome), tune the fifth string first. But after the "A" or fifth string is tuned, you should probably do the low "E" string next, since variations of its tension will affect the physical neck/body interactions more than will the tension of the higher-pitched, lighter gauge strings. Re-adjust "A" if necessary, & continue up the neck. THE GUILD OF AMERICAN LUTHIERS also has a great paper published regarding slight tempering of string pitches, when making intonation adjustments, in order to effect improved overall chord tones. Use of thinner fret wire (vs. junbo or super jumbo frets) reduces the effects of string pitch changes due to pushing the strings down on the frets. |
John Kavanagh Member From: Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada |
posted 13 December 2001 02:05 PM
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Here's a simple thing that I think helps me tune better faster: I tune the same note on all the strings. Works well if your guitar is fretted accurately. Usually I use the tonic of the key I'll be playing in, but not always. For instance, I'd tune the E strings open, then the A string at the 7th fret, the d string at the 2nd fret, the g string at the 9th fret, and the b string at the 5th fret. I think this works because it spreads the tempering around the way the frets are set up for - equal temperament, which is almost impossible to tune by ear. ------------------ |
Danny Bates Member From: Fresno,CA. USA |
posted 13 December 2001 04:02 PM
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I have been tuning pianos for about 20 years. One day a week I teach music at a prison. While there, I have to tune about a dozen cheap guitars with old strings for the prisoners in my class. This method works on guitars that an electronic tuner will not tune. For me, it is also the best method on fine guitars too. Tune the 1st string to a tuner or by ear, to a tuner or to another instrument. (A) Tune in the 2nd string by matching the vibrations of the 2nd string to the first string open with the first string fretted at the second fret. Match the beats exactly. If there are no beats, (Which is rare) you are playing a fine guitar with good strings. Do not listen to the notes…. Listen for the beats! Tune the 3rd string (same as above) by matching with the beats of the second string at the 1st fret and the 3rd fret. Check with the 1st string fretted at the 3rd fret. Tune the 4th string to the 3rd string the same way as (A) Tune the 5th string to the 3th string the same way as (A) Tune the 6th string the same way as (A) This method works the same as when I tune a piano. It is working by tuning the partials (harmonics) of the string to the partials of the others. When I tune a piano, I tune the fourths to beat slightly faster than the fifths. |
Jack Stoner Sysop From: Inverness, Florida |
posted 13 December 2001 04:37 PM
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I played several gigs in Kansas City with Billy Charles (last I heard he was in Branson working in some diner and not in music). He would have me give him an A and then he would tune his guitar's high E string from that. (Billy also worked with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown at one time). |
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