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Topic: Tuning G# Flat (how Much) And Why |
Richard Grasty
From:
DEKALB Illinois, USA
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Posted 16 Sep 2011 6:39 am |
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I KNOW THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN POSTED MANY TIMES BUT I COULDNT FIND IT,SO ASKING AGAIN...THANKS FOR ANY AND ALL REPLYS.....
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 16 Sep 2011 7:21 am
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Richard,
When you tune your String-4-E and String-3-G# both "straight up" (the needle on the tuner is straight up), often times a "wavering" frequency can be heard.
Some players will flatten the G# string by ear until that "wavering" frequency dissapears.
If you like this method, write down the needle position when the wavering dissapears and use that as your tuning reference.
Other players will tune every note straight up because that's what all the other instruments do. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 16 Sep 2011 10:30 pm
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Touch the E string with your finger at its 1/2 length point, the 12th fret, and pluck it to hear the harmonic. You have an E, an octave above the string's tuning.
Next, touch the string at its 1/3 length point, the 7th fret, and sound the harmonic. You hear the B note on octave higher.
Now, gently touch the string at its 1/4 length point, the 5th fret, and sound the harmonic. A double octave E.
Next we would want to sound the harmonic of the 1/5 string length. But that point isn't directly above a fret. Measure your scale and do the math, or just experiment a bit. You'll find the harmonic point of the 1/5 string length is about 1/4" flat of the 4th fret. The note that you hear there is the true G#, over two octaves above your open E string.
How flat is the harmonic note from the "equal temperament" of the painted fret? It's about 14/100ths of a fret or -14 cents.
Using the harmonically pure G# instead of the mathematically tempered one built into the electronic tuner will make your harmonies sound smoother. It just sounds better. That's why most steel players flat their G# strings a little bit.
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Dan Beller-McKenna
From:
Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 17 Sep 2011 4:13 am
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I had tuned the G# the way Bob describes (you can get the harmonic on the fourth fret of the eighth string in the same octave on the sixth string at the seventh fret) for years. As Bob says, this made the harmonies using the third and sixth string much sweeter sounding than if they were tuned straight up on the tuner. However, I always noticed that as I went above the twelfth fret and plaid harmony lines with the third and fifth strings (or, less often, with the third and fourth string), the top note sounded a bit flat. Therefore, about six months ago, I began "cheating" or splitting the difference, if you will, and tune the third and sixth strings half way between acoustically pure (i.e., according to the harmonics) and straight up (according to the needle on the tuner). This is a little jarring when I get done tuning and those strings sound "out of tune" to my naked ear, but when I get going they sound perfectly fine below the twelfth fret, and better than they used to above the twelfth fret. Also, this will put you slightly more in tune with your guitar player if he or she tunes straight up (as most of them do).
YMMV
Dan |
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