How Do You Tune?

malko · Post by **malko** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 10:23 am

Just got How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great and have been reading the chapter on tuning. Funny as i've played for years and would use the 5/7 harmonic technique when there was no electric tuner, seems like this is a waste of time.............also have to admit to tuning to a chord if i was really frustrated. The info on tuning all strings to a reference pitch (open high E) seems to make a lot of sense. Anyone got any other methods of tuning?

James · Post by **James** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 10:31 am

I do it using this video to tune by ear. My aim is to get my bass in tune before wanting to throttle him for saying 'tooner'. Most of the time the throttle urge wins.

Gavin · Post by **Gavin** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 3:53 pm

When I was a nipper and couldn't afford an electronic tuner I used to tune to the Radiohead song Bones off of The Bends. There's a bit in the song where he plays the high e about five times in a row, good for tuning against.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 3:55 pm

I can get close by ear alone these days.

Clearly I use a pedal tuner in rehearsal and gig situations as it's quicker, but I can restring a guitar and return it to standard tuning using my ear.

kim · Post by **kim** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:00 pm

my dad usually runs off with my tuner with built in mic so when i want to tune my acoustic i have no tuner and am forced to tune by ear, you get used to it.
usually start with top and bottom e getting those right, then the rest and see if it matches, then play something like an a maj chord and if it sounds right it's done. when i get a chance to check it with the tuner it's usually in tune now so i've learned to deal with people not giving back my gear because they can't tune by ear now.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:27 pm

i just tune to what ever is laying around, radio, other guitar, other band member, drum. whatever

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 4:38 pm

i just play the next string up open and tune until it sounds "right" when played alongside the previous string.

i've found this method to work much better for me than harmonics or fretting the previous string. of course it doesn't beat a tuner but it's useful if i can't be arsed to use a tuner to get back to standard from open D or whatever.

matthoj · Post by **matthoj** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:29 am

Gavin wrote:When I was a nipper and couldn't afford an electronic tuner I used to tune to the Radiohead song Bones off of The Bends. There's a bit in the song where he plays the high e about five times in a row, good for tuning against.

i used to use the opening of fugazi's turnover off repeater...

whenever i tune by ear i'm always 1/2 step low. so's my tech. i bring my guitars home and they are always 1/2 step low. stage tuner i have the boss tuner everyone has on the pedal board, at home i use a little korg guy, and i downloaded a tuner app for my cell phone when i'm somewhere else and i need one and i probably dont have a pick. there's websites with tuners and i have used that before. my martin has a tuner on it. and i'm 98% of the time all of the time in dropped d.

matthoj · Post by **matthoj** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:42 am

and two minutes after i posted that, i go to plug into my little korg tuner. dead. re-upped the batteries (i put new guys in there yesterday) still dead. m f'er.

Will · Post by **Will** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:13 am

I used to use a tuner, but I think my ear might be a touch more accurate.

I go:
Low E or A reference pitch -
match 12th harmonic of low E to 7th fret on A
12th harmonic E to 2nd fret of D
12th harmonic D to 7th fret of G and 3rd fret of B
12th harmonic of G to 3rd fret of high E

This usually works best. I also pick the string with whichever finger I usually use when fingerpicking. So the top 2 strings get picked with my index and middle finger, and the bottom 4 get the thumb.

Post by **Doog** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:44 pm

A Korg DT-10, never lets me down.

Noirie. · Post by **Noirie.** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:48 pm

Get with the times

endsjustifymeans · Post by **endsjustifymeans** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:18 pm

Noirie. wrote:Get with the times

This.

Though... once I have the low E tuned I can get the rest by ear. I just really need the low E as a starting point. Weird?

BobArsecake · Post by **BobArsecake** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:23 pm

endsjustifymeans wrote:
Noirie. wrote:Get with the times

This.

Though... once I have the low E tuned I can get the rest by ear. I just really need the low E as a starting point. Weird?

Aye, Daytripper is my song for that.