The Steel Guitar Forum

What is meant by tuning the beats out?

PIcture a twin-engine plane. As it banks, one engine must speed up relative to the other. You can hear the beating increasing
as the plane banks, returning to a smoother sound when it straightens out.

When tuning two strings, they will fall in and out of phase with each other and we hear a beat frequency.
Tuning until the beat frequency is about zero is tuning the beats out.

Thanks Charlie, When I try to tune the beats out I end up tuning the two strings I am working with to the same pitch. Ugh Guess I don't know what I am doing.

Unisons have the most obvious beats. The beating of a fifth, E to B, involves higher partials (harmonics).
Nonetheless, the physics is the same.

If in doubt, use a tuner to establish the pitch of E and B. Tune B a little flatter, noticing the increase in beating.
Then tune it back up, noticing that the beating decreases as you approach just intonation.
In the case of the E-B fifth and other fifths, it's better to have it a little on the flat side than sharp.

Add a little distortion and you can really identify when the two strings lock in. This is a good way to tune once you get your es tunned with a tunner with your a and b pedals down.

Just a thought, if you try tuning with headphones instead of with your amp, you may be able to hear the beats easier. Room sounds make it more difficult to hear them. Even a ceiling fan running on low will affect the sound. Once you get used to hearing the note differences it will be much easier to tune in "open air"...

Just my $.02..

Gary, it takes a little "ear training" to be able to identify beats, when learning to tune them out, in my experience...just as it does to identify pitch? Some don't get it right away? Two strings in unison, wobbling, for a lack of a better description/word, raising or lowering a string can increase or decrease the rate of the wobble, once you've synchronized( big word for an Okie) the string, the wobble all but disappears. Hope that helps explain what to listen for? Good luck, I think you'll eventually be able to do it!

Gary, until you learn what to listen to and how, it's kinda tricky.
I try to explain and show it here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F9p4iKWKisY

The sound of the beating was very clear on the video. (Beating's kind of a terrible word for it.)

Gary, I'm most comfortable with Lane's tuning. You can't go wrong with it for tuning it by ear, and a great way to learn it.

Lane, impressive video. You explained it perfectly. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Charlie, you are right, Lane has some outstanding knowledge about the PSG.

And Lane is always ready to help. Great guy. Lane for president!

Charlie, I agree with you 100%. Lane is very bright and most important he is always willing to share his knowledge with others. Lane has helped me out on several occasions.