One of the most important skills to develop is that of learning to tune, especially your open strings because they are the foundation for all the other notes to be in tune. When I teach this skill I guess I do it the "hard way" because it is the best in the long run. I use my tuner to produce the desired pitch - the note I'm tuning to - and adjust my string to match it. By doing it this way, I force my ears to listen to whether I am too low, too high, or just right. Sometimes it is hard to tell which way to adjust the string, but, if I sing or hum the note, it becomes more clear. When you learn to tune by listening instead of just having a tuner tell you which way and how far you are off, you strengthen your ability to tell if and when other notes you are playing are in or out of tune too.
Eventually, string players are expected to tune their instruments "by 5ths". When you do this you only receive one pitch - A - by which you tune that string and then you tune D by listening to the quality of the interval (space/distance between notes). Your D string will be in tune when the A and D together form a perfect 5th. You then tune the rest of your strings the same way, as all the strings that neighbor each other are a 5th apart.
Learning to tune by listening takes time and practice, but it pays off for both the performer and their audience!
A good process to use in tuning would be:
1. Listen to the note for a moment.
2. Hum or sing the note to internalize it.
3. Tune the string, continuing to listen so you can match the pitch correctly.
Remember, when using the fine tuners, turning them "clockwise" will make the pitch go up (or more sharp) and turning them "counter-clockwise" will make the pitch go down (or more flat). When using the pegs, turning the upwards or toward the scroll will make the pitch go up and turning them down or toward the fingerboard will make the pitch go down.
Eventually, string players are expected to tune their instruments "by 5ths". When you do this you only receive one pitch - A - by which you tune that string and then you tune D by listening to the quality of the interval (space/distance between notes). Your D string will be in tune when the A and D together form a perfect 5th. You then tune the rest of your strings the same way, as all the strings that neighbor each other are a 5th apart.
Learning to tune by listening takes time and practice, but it pays off for both the performer and their audience!
A good process to use in tuning would be:
1. Listen to the note for a moment.
2. Hum or sing the note to internalize it.
3. Tune the string, continuing to listen so you can match the pitch correctly.
Remember, when using the fine tuners, turning them "clockwise" will make the pitch go up (or more sharp) and turning them "counter-clockwise" will make the pitch go down (or more flat). When using the pegs, turning the upwards or toward the scroll will make the pitch go up and turning them down or toward the fingerboard will make the pitch go down.
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