Anyone else bad at tuning at ear?

[cwness]

I have never had a problem tuning by ear. To tune when I first started playing I put an

album on and tuned to it. On stage I always used a tuner at home it just

sits on top the Rockman unless I'm going to record.

 

 

CW

[guitargreg1993]

I can tell by ear when Guitar has gone out of tune Yes. But tuning by ear no I can't do that.

 

+1

[retrosurfer1959]

I use a Peterson Strobe or a pedal tuner I can tune by ear but don't to me it's kind of like a slide rule I can use one but why. ALso I like to use the strobe tuner then I know I'm in tune with everything not just me. I found a long time ago it's important to be in tun with the instruments around you especially piano's you can be sopt on and still sound bad if your not tuned to your other instruments.

[milod]

I just got done looking a my own first post on this thread and a response or two...

 

First, for what it's worth, I'm not a Luddite at all, and use the tuner built into my multi-effects pedal - which is probably 50 percent of what I have the thing for...

 

Secondly, I'm a bit grouchy about the fact that a guitar pitch pipe and an inexpensive tuner run about the same. It's not that I don't like tuners, but a pitch pipe is kinda like my old Nikon hardbody film cameras I trusted for photos regardless of other conditions. They all had meters, but I always kept cameras that would get me a pix even if the meter battery died. I got a lotta pix when the guys with "high end" cameras didn't - notably when it got well under -20 F - because I didn't need battery power and they did.

 

Third, I'm thinking of getting an inexpensive tuner to use with acoustics, especially, when the EA jobbies ain't plugged in.

 

I think tuners are fine, but reading more here has convinced me that a bit of ear training is good for tuner-raised guitarists. This thread also has me thinking increasingly about how with some guitars I "cheat" a little bit. That is, if the intonation isn't quite right to my ear with what I'm playing on the guitar, I've always kinda fiddled with it enough so it worked. Hmmmm. It's kinda like technically no piano is truly "in tune," but rather is "well tempered."

 

Bottom line is that the tuner is another tool, and a good one. It's just not the only tool that works, nor necessarily the proper tool for some circumstances.

 

And ear training - I envy Rocketman his perfect pitch - is something I do every day.

 

m

[Lowdown]

I think it's a prerequisite that any guitarist should be able to "manually' tune their guitar. When I started we didn't have tuners but always wanted them as they were gadgets.and all musos love gadgets right.

 

And whoah,if Rocketman has perfect pitch!? You're the muso equivalent of a 1% mate. McMurray...no mate,you cannot learn perfect pitch either. Sorry. Either have it or you don't.

[mcmurray]

I McMurray...no mate' date='you cannot learn perfect pitch either. Sorry. Either have it or you don't.[/quote']

 

I never said you could;

 

The good news is - anyone can acquire relative pitch.

[Lowdown]

I never said you could;

 

 

 

Can't acquire it then either.

[mcmurray]

Can't acquire it then either.

 

But you can aquire relative pitch.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_pitch

 

"Unlike absolute pitch (sometimes called "perfect pitch")' date=' relative pitch is quite common among musicians, especially musicians who are used to "playing by ear", and a precise relative pitch is a constant characteristic among good musicians. Also unlike perfect pitch, relative pitch is common among non-musicians and can be developed through ear training."[/i']

[Lowdown]

But you can aquire relative pitch.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_pitch

 

"Unlike absolute pitch (sometimes called "perfect pitch")' date=' relative pitch is quite common among musicians, especially musicians who are used to "playing by ear", and a precise relative pitch is a constant characteristic among good musicians. Also unlike perfect pitch, relative pitch is common among non-musicians and can be developed through ear training."[/i']

 

 

 

Pfft.

It's all relative.

 

[saturn]

I can easy tune a guitar to itself by ear. Or, if someone gives me a reference pitch I can tune it to 440 by ear. I've never really tried, but I doubt I would hit perfect A or E just by ear.

 

Hint, IMO it's actually easier to tunbe by ear with the amp set to high gain. The "beats" are a lot more discernible.

[RichCI]

For over 25 years, I've always tuned by ear and get along well doing so. But, I have to admit, that using a tuner is quicker and more accurate. When I get my finances together, I'm going to buy an inline tuner (probably a Peterson Strobostomp).

[jinx2]

some of the new fender acoustics have built in electronic tuners. >brillitant!

[Gilliangirl]

Frankly I think this is largely because we've now got these electronic thingamajiggies for tuning guitars instead of using a pitch pipe' date=' piano or tuning fork - and we've kinda quit training people's ears.

 

I wish I had some advice other than to use the harmonics for tuning and, once they're close, to listen for "beats" from the tuning of the two strings being slightly out of phase.

 

m

[/quote']

Pitch pipe? I still have my old pitch pipe from when I was 16 years old! I wonder if I could still tune the guitar using it? I've always thought the electronic thingamajiggies made us lazy and really didn't do us any favours in the long run. But, I still use and love mine. I can tell when the guitar is out of tune (it's like nails on a chalkboard for me when it's out of tune) and I can get it in the ballpark if I tune by ear. But I have to use the electronic thingamajiggy to fine-tune it.

[Shnate McDuanus]

Hint' date=' IMO it's actually easier to tunbe by ear with the amp set to high gain. The "beats" are a lot more discernible.[/quote']

 

Yep! A high-gain setting works miracles for electric guitar tuning.

 

I figured that one out by accident...

[LPguitarman]

I tune with my tuner, then check it by ear.

[guitar_randy]

Thats one thing I am usually pretty good at,but I have my off days.Some days I just can't seem to tune or play for anything.I'm thinking everyone gets those?Some days i just play better than others.Sometimes I can't get my 2 hands coordinated and sometimes I can't get my brain and my hands to get on the same page.

[Shnate McDuanus]

Thats one thing I am usually pretty good at' date='but I have my off days.Some days I just can't seem to tune or play for anything.I'm thinking everyone gets those?Some days i just play better than others.Sometimes I can't get my 2 hands coordinated and sometimes I can't get my brain and my hands to get on the same page.[/quote']

 

Don't worry Randy. I know like all hell that I have my great days, my average days, and my downright horrible days. A fairly large part of my time to practicing technique, but sometimes it doesn't come through. And sometimes my stupid ears don't work together with my stupid hands!

 

What you need to remember is that you can always use what you know to BS your way through a song if it doesn't work out. You could be hitting all of the wrong notes, and as long as it's in key, there's a chance that it could sound good. Heck, if it's not in key, it could still sound good in some cases.

[Bender 4 Life]

When i'm playing alone, I tune the "D" string from one of my other guitars, and the others by ear.

When i'm w/another guitarist, I match my D to theirs, and the rest by ear.

When re-stringing, I use a digital tuner, make adjustments by ear, check with tuner the next day, adjust by ear again.

The 1st 5 yrs. I played, I had NO sense of tuning, but the last 30, i've been pretty good.