The Blog Category Is Expanding:
I’ve expanded the blog category to include “Basic Acoustics,” “Intonation Music Theory,” and “World Music” topics in addition to the posts about guitar and keyboard intonation.
Tuning Up:
The following posts mostly talk about retuning guitars and micro tuning keyboards.
What’s intonation? It’s retuning guitars and micro tuning synths.
The guitar posts explore music played with open tunings. Moreover, we will look at styles such as rock, blues, folk, country, and Hawaiian.
Tuning with harmonics allows the guitar open tunings to have better sounding chords than the same open tunings tuned using frets or a standard electronic tuner. Nevertheless, the pattern of harmonics for the open tunings looks different than the pattern of harmonics for standard tuning.
The synth posts focus on micro tuning the synth using Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET). I created SET to have better sounding chords that equal temperament (the piano’s tuning). However, it still works with normal, unmodified instruments reading standard sheet music and regular tab.
In other words, pop and other music groups can tune synths and guitars to SET. When tuned to SET, flexible pitch instruments can play with the SET tuned guitar and synth. Specifically, the flexible pitch instruments include the violin, brass, woodwinds, and voice.
Equal tempered instruments can play at least some notes with the SET tuned guitar and synth. Specifically, the fixed pitch equal tempered instruments include the piano, organ, and xylophone. However, most percussion instruments do not need special tunings. Taken together, this makes the SET ensemble.
The cornerstone category article:
The cornerstone category article is a longer article and more technical. The post defines intonation, and discusses microtonality verses tuning theory. Also, it talks about on how SET was formed, and some of the science that went into its creation.
The posts can be further broken into guitar, synth, ensemble, etc.
Guitar, etc.:
Online Guitar and Ukulele Tuners:
Synth:
Ensemble:
Intonation Music Theory:
World Music:
Basic Acoustics:
The previous topic lists will be updated periodically. See the post grid below for the full list and full descriptions with featured images.
– Geoffrey Keith
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
Back to the Successful Music Student Blogs page
Do you want to tune the ukulele with a free online tuner? If you’d like to get your ukulele into the standard ukulele tuning in equal temperament, don’t worry, I have what you need. However, did you know that the Hawaiians tune their instruments so that their ukes sound a lot better? Click to tune up the most common versions of the tuning. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Do you want to tune your guitar online? If you want to tune your guitar to normal standard tuning in equal temperament, I’ve got you covered. However, did you know that professional guitarists have other ways of tuning standard guitar tuning to make their guitars sound better? Read “Guitar Tuner Online: Standard Guitar Tuning” to learn eight versions of standard tuning. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
“What is the point of different alternate guitar tunings?” Alternate tunings change both how the instrument sounds and how it feels as you play it. They say that cloths make the man. Likewise, how the guitar gets tuned can make the guitarist. Read more to find out some of the advantages of alternate tunings. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Have you ever tuned your guitar, using the frets or an electronic tuner, only to find that it still sounds off when you start strumming? Many guitarists have noticed this problem. However, you can learn how to make your guitar sound better! Read more to find out, “Why does my guitar sound off tune?” Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
How many of you want to know how to tune with guitar harmonics? Tuning using the 5th and 7th fret harmonics is the most common way to fine-tune standard tuning on the guitar. It yields better sounding chords than tuning using frets. However, it doesn’t restrict what you can use for open chord forms. Read more to learn how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you want to understand advanced heterophony concepts? How does timbre affect heterophony in the ma’luf ensembles? Many cultures organize their music by using heterophony which forms the music in essentially different ways than harmony-based music. Keep reading to understand the relationship between heterophony and timbre. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you have a hard time recreating on the synth the xylophone sounds from your favorite world music? Do you want to know how to tune the African balafon? The tuning and tone color of an instrument are closely tied together. Keep reading to get info and tips for synthesizing an African balafon style xylophone sound. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Have you ever wondered how Eastern European vocalists sing polyphony in parallel 2nds? Do you want to know how world music works? Understanding world music involves stepping outside your own perspective and seeing from the world musician’s point of view instead. Click to answer the question, “How do you sing Eastern European vocal harmony in 2nds by ear?” Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
“Why does my guitar sound out of tune even after I’ve tuned it? Is it possible to tune a guitar perfectly?” Yes, it is possible to tune a guitar perfectly, and it’ll give your sound a boost! Click to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Have you ever wondered why just intonation sounds different in different keys? This happens because the structure of just intonation diverges from equal temperament (the modern tuning standard), resulting in a different sound. Click to learn the answer to the question, “Why do just intonation keys have different aural characteristics?” Estimated reading time 4 minutes.