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July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | I was reading Vintage Guitar Mag (I recommend it), and VG asked someone if they tuned to the rise or the fall of the note.
My ear is surely not good enough to notice a difference, but can someone explain the theory of tuning to a rise or fall? Thanks.
And my follow-on question: Does the on-board tuner tune to the rise or the fall? |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | I've been told to tune up to the note. This minimizes mechanical hysteresis and should stay in tune longer. 
A tuner doesn't care... it's all in the frequency. |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Tuning to .. " rise " or " fall " ... does that mean tuning it " sharp " or " flat " .. ? ..
Vic
.. anyone .. ? .. |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I find it's easier to tune up to it. I do it all by the tuner, THEN....
once they all are in tune I double check the D string, check the harmonic for the A and E stringsand play the D note on the B string, checking against the D string. The A note on the G string against the A string and then the high E off the harmonic of the B string. It works for me. Sometimes just running by the tuner the G and/or B strings are a little off. This fixes that. |
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April 2006
Posts: 2491
Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Ah , " rise " = tuning by stretching the string..
" fall " = slacking the string ...
was that it ?
Vic |
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July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | Ahhhh.
What he said.
I knew that; I thought it was something highly techknuckle about how a plucked string initially vibrated at a semihemidemiquaver higher than after it was resonating and the person had the option of tuning to that initial tone or the later tone.
Wow. did I just say that? |
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February 2008
Posts: 747
| I hit the note, wait till it settles and then tune up to where it should be - seems less likely that the string will slack off that way but I've never heard any technical reason for doing it one way or another - just seems to make sense tuning up to the note rather than down. |
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May 2008
Posts: 194
Location: Las Vegas, NV | Originally posted by Mitzdawg:
Ahhhh.
What he said.
I knew that; I thought it was something highly techknuckle about how a plucked string initially vibrated at a semihemidemiquaver higher than after it was resonating and the person had the option of tuning to that initial tone or the later tone.
Wow. did I just say that? I've read (and experienced) that a string goes slightly sharp when initially plucked/strummed, and then settles. I've also read that it depends on what/how you play as to how you should tune. If you let notes ring out, then you should tune to the settled note. If you're changing notes fairly rapidly, then you would care more how the initially plucked/strummed note sounded. Makes sense to me... |
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August 2007
Posts: 494
Location: Location Location Location | Yes, bcoombs, that makes good sense, and something I hadn't given a lot of thought to. Thanks! |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Same as Beal, tuning up to a note, always with a tuner on the pedal board, starting low and ending high, then repeat. Most of the Ovamas models remain in tune very well, the EA Vipers in particular. Humidity-controlled environments help. I'm not "That Guy", so the strings are never shredded and remain pretty much in tune throughout the gig. |
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May 2009
Posts: 325
Location: Utica, NY | Yup, I always tuning 'up' to take up any slack in the tuner mechanism. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by nervous:
to take up any slack in the tuner mechanism Guess I should of stated that instead of 'mechanical hysteresis'...  |
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May 2009
Posts: 1433
Location: Right now? | You guys are SO FUNNY! "highly techknuckle" and 'mechanical hysteresis'!
I am so happy I found this forum. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | If you tune down you can have some of the string tension "stuck" behind the saddle or Nut. By bringing it all down, then up you cause an equalization.
Or as Willa might say "stringulation"... |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | I read somewhere to 'tune-up'... So I always do.
That will keep the string from getting stuck in the Nut-Slot and then coming loose while you play.
[Like Woody just said]
When my guitar drifts outta tune while sitting around I loosen the knobbie a half-turn and give the string a little tug just to be sure.
Then I tune Up.
If I tune up a bit too far, I give the string a little tug again when I retune.
That way I am always sure that the string is not being held by friction or crud at the nut.
[I realize that this is not what the original subject of the question was, Dawg...
But I figure that it is still sorta on-topic. :p ] |
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October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | OK... "tuning to the rise or fall of a note":
Are to tuning it on the initial attack or waiting till it settles? Because when you pick the string you are stretching it however minutely. So initailly it may be slightly sharp, settle on key, then flatten out. At least thats the theory as it was described to me. You might not hear it, but I can see it in my electronic tuner.
As to WHERE you tune, that would depend on how you play. (and if you buy into any of this tuning Voodoo).
As for the actual tuning of a guitar:
To eliminate any backlash in the tuning gears, always tune flat, then up to key. |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | I studied orchestral and concert percussion for many, many years. You always tune tympani UP to pitch (and a few cents extra) to account for the hysteresis. |
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Tuning Question
