Tuning
The archive contains posts about tuning instruments and vocals.
Instrument and Vocal Intonation
Are you frustrated that your guitar or synth chords sound out of tune? Do you want to sing in tune? Many of the following posts deal with how to retune guitars and synths so they sound better. Other posts deal with singing or playing in tune.
However, the tuning posts do not stop at the simple question of how to tune a guitar or a synth. They also look at the deeper questions of what does it mean to be in tune and how to tune better.
When musicians tune instruments, they bring the instruments’ notes into agreement with a cultural standard. The standard remains different for fixed pitch instruments, such as the piano, than for flexible pitch instruments, such as the voice.
In Western culture, equal temperament remains the standard for fixed pitch instruments. It allows the instrument to have a manageable number of notes. Also, all twelve scales remain usable.
However, the chords sound barely in tune. Therefore, many of the posts in the archive talk about how to tune instruments using Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET). SET is an enhanced version of equal temperament. Thus, chords sound better in SET than in equal temperament.
Flexible pitch instruments, such as the voice, violin, brass, and woodwind families, have the ability to adjust their pitch as they play. Consequently, many of the archive posts deal with vocal intonation. (Though any flexible pitch instrumentalist will benefit from the ear training.)
To help them achieve this, the singing posts have specially tuned sing-along songs that train vocalists to sing melodies and harmonies accurately.
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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Have you ever wondered why a chord works with one instrument’s tone color (or a particular timbre of voice) but not another? Do you want to know what to listen for when tuning up your chords? Timbre and harmony are intimately related and understanding that relationship will deepen a composer’s knowledge of music. Also, it’ll help vocals, woodwinds, brass, and violins to know what to listen for when tuning up chords. Keep reading to learn the secret relationship of timbre and harmony. Estimated reading time 3 minutes.
Do you want to try out open G tuning, but don’t know where to start? While G tuning has a wonderfully resonant quality, there are still some things you need to think about before you begin learning these alternate guitar tunings. Keep reading “What’s the Catch with G Guitar Tuning?” to find out what makes it both captivating and challenging at the same time. Estimated reading time 2 minutes.
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.
How do I switch from minor key shaped notes to standard notation?” Sight singing minor keys in standard notation can be challenging. Because it can be difficult to figure out if you’re in a major key or the relative minor. Read more to learn how to transition from shaped notes to standard notation for minor keys. 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.
