The archive gathers together the posts about tuning chords.
Do you want to know how to tune chords better?
The term does not come from the word cord (i.e., string). Rather, it comes from the Middle English word cord, which means accord. In other words, the notes in a harmony are in accord, meaning they work well together.
Likewise, the term harmony, a synonym of chord, also carries the idea of notes that work well together. Therefore, harmony remains a branch of music theory that deals with how notes combine to create consonant and dissonant groupings.
The notes in a harmony can be played one after the other. However, most often harmony deals with notes that happen at the same time.
When a chord gets played as a block, it remains sensitive to mistuning. Therein lies the problem with harmony, it can be tricky to tune.
Equal temperament remains the standard tuning for instruments like the piano, organ, guitar, and xylophone. It makes compromises in the harmonies in order to keep the total number of notes to a workable amount.
Equal temperament could be thought of as a well temperament that spreads the tuning errors evenly across the whole tuning system. It has the advantage that none of the chords sound really bad. Also, all of the scales remain usable.
However, the equal tempered major thirds are just spitting distance from being out of tune.
A new tuning system, called Supplemented Equal Temperament, creates an enhanced version of equal temperament that has better sounding chords.
Many of the following posts talk about how to tune harmonies using Supplemented Equal Temperament, while other posts deal with singing harmonies in tune.
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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What common mistakes do people make when tuning their guitars? We’ll discuss the three most important tuning tips plus three bonus tips. Click to learn how to fix the three most common mistakes that people make when tuning their guitars. Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
What Common Mistakes Do People Make When Tuning Their Guitars? Read More »
Is there a difference in difficulty in singing specific vowels? Yes, some vowels will be easier to sing in tune, and others will be easier to sing with a strong tone. Click to understand why there is a difference in difficulty for singing specific vowels, and how to do something about it. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Is There a Difference in Difficulty for Singing Specific Vowels? Read More »
Do you have a hard time singing in key? Do you want strong vocal tone? Gaining control of your vowels will help you reach both goals. Today we’ll deal with singing lip vowels, the second major vowel grouping in the vowel series. Read more to learn about singing lip vowels. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Singing Lip Vowels Read More »
Have you ever wondered, “Why do minor keys sound sad and major keys sound happy?” Has this phenomenon been hardwired into us, or does culture impact how we perceive scales? In fact, it’s a little bit of both. Read more to learn how this works. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Why Do Minor Keys Sound Sad to Me? Read More »
So, you play an open string, and it gives you one note. You play the harmonic over the 12th fret, and you get another note. You do the same thing over the 5th and 7th frets, and you get still more notes. However, they don’t relate to the frets at all. You scratch your head, wondering, “How do guitar harmonics work?” Don’t worry, you just need to understand how strings vibrate. Read more to answer the question, how do guitar harmonics work? Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How Do Guitar Harmonics Work? Read More »
How does your brain learn to play the piano with two hands? Daniel Coyle, in “The Talent Code,” tells us generally how the brain acquires skill, and I’ll give you specific tips for two-handed playing. Read more to find out how it works. Estimated reading time 4 minutes
How Does Your Brain Learn to Play the Piano with Two Hands? Read More »
Are you thinking about composing in just intonation? Do you worry that just intonation is impractical? As with any tuning system, just intonation has its strengths and weaknesses. We’ll look at the pros and cons, and when you’ve gone through the post, you can make up your own mind. Read more to help you answer the question, “Is just intonation impractical?” Estimated reading time 4 minutes.
Is Just Intonation Impractical? Read More »
Do you ever ask yourself, “How can I tell when I’m singing in key?” or “How do I know if I’m singing in tune?” If you happen to be one of those people who has an innate sense of pitch, count yourself lucky. For everybody else, take heart! Performing in key is a skill that you can learn, and the sing-along soundtracks will help. Read more to learn what you need to listen for to be able to sing in key. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
How Can I Tell When I’m Singing in Key? Read More »
Have you ever tuned your synth to just intonation (JI), then selected a piano sound, and thought it sounded odd as you played scales? The reason many people think JI sounds strange with a piano patch is tied to how people hear melody. Read more to learn about choosing the right sound to play with just intonation. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
Choosing The Right Sound To Play With Just Intonation Read More »
Do you have a hard time singing with a strong vocal tone? Do you want to be able to sing in tune? Controlling how you sing vowels will help you get a stronger tone and give you the tools to sing in tune. We’ll focus on tongue vowels today, because you’ll find tongue vowels easier to produce than lip vowels. Read more to learn about singing tongue vowels. Estimated reading time 5 minutes.
Singing Tongue Vowels Read More »