Let's Talk About Tuning..

  • Thread starter Thread starter MontiCristo
  • Start date Start date
MontiCristo
MontiCristo
Active member
Not a noob, been playing for years, but tuning a guitar has always bothered me.
I suppose my ear is overly sensitive or "picky"

I'm curious how any of you have dealt with the fact that it's basically impossible to get a guitar completely in tune in the sense that every chord will always sound in tune.

I usually do the EVH thing where I use my polytune 3 across all the strings and then drop the b and high E down. This enables triads to sound great, but it causes G chords and Am chords to sound terrible.

Which tuning method have you guys found that allows for a "happy medium" across all chords?

there's gotta be a trick out there to make this better.
are guys just tuning to each chord progression in the studios?
 
MontiCristo said:
I usually do the EVH thing where I use my polytune 3 across all the strings and then drop the b and high E down. This enables triads to sound great, but it causes G chords and Am chords to sound terrible.
Click to expand...
That's because that old Internet wives tale' about Ed's tuning is completely oversimplified and wrong..

RWTD:

1st string: Eb +17.0 cents
2nd string: Bb +29.0 cents
3rd string: F# +35.0 cents
4th string: C# +35.0 cents
5th string: Ab +35.0 cents
6th string: Eb +29.0 cents


YRGM:

High E: +25.5 cents from Eb
.....B: +23.0 cents from Bb
.....G: +23.0 cents from F#
.....D: +25.5 cents from Db
.....A: +25.5 cents from Ab
-Low E: +23.0 cents from Eb


"Panama"

1st string: Eb +38.0 cents
2nd string: Bb +33.0 cents
3rd string: F# +29.0 cents
4th string: C# +39.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +32.0 cents


Hear About It Later:

1st String: -34.0 Cents
2nd String: -34.0 Cents
3rd String: -22.0 Cents
4th String: -22.0 Cents
5th String: -22.0 Cents
6th String: -34.0 Cents (Drop Db Tuning)


Ice Cream Man:

1st string: Eb +12.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +12.9 cents
3rd string: F# +14.6 cents
4th string: C# +15.0 cents
5th string: Ab +15.0 cents
6th string: Eb +12.7 cents
 
f
Ben Waylin said:
That's because that old Internet wives tale' about Ed's tuning is completely oversimplified and wrong..

RWTD:

1st string: Eb +17.0 cents
2nd string: Bb +29.0 cents
3rd string: F# +35.0 cents
4th string: C# +35.0 cents
5th string: Ab +35.0 cents
6th string: Eb +29.0 cents


YRGM:

High E: +25.5 cents from Eb
.....B: +23.0 cents from Bb
.....G: +23.0 cents from F#
.....D: +25.5 cents from Db
.....A: +25.5 cents from Ab
-Low E: +23.0 cents from Eb


"Panama"

1st string: Eb +38.0 cents
2nd string: Bb +33.0 cents
3rd string: F# +29.0 cents
4th string: C# +39.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +32.0 cents


Hear About It Later:

1st String: -34.0 Cents
2nd String: -34.0 Cents
3rd String: -22.0 Cents
4th String: -22.0 Cents
5th String: -22.0 Cents
6th String: -34.0 Cents (Drop Db Tuning)


Ice Cream Man:

1st string: Eb +12.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +12.9 cents
3rd string: F# +14.6 cents
4th string: C# +15.0 cents
5th string: Ab +15.0 cents
6th string: Eb +12.7 cents
Click to expand...
fair enough. these look to be tunings for Van Halen tunes. But that's not what I asked / inquired about. Which tuning method allows for the closes "in tune" sound across all chords?
 
japetus said:
A Peterson strobe tuner with a properly set up guitar
Click to expand...
no, sorry to be combative, but that's not correct. Use whatever tuner you like with the most perfectly set up guitar in the world. Because of the way a guitar is tuned with the "b" being different it is impossible to get it 100% in tune across all chords. This is why you have to drop the "b" when playing triads with the d, g & b strings.
 
MontiCristo said:
no, sorry to be combative, but that's not correct. Use whatever tuner you like with the most perfectly set up guitar in the world. Because of the way a guitar is tuned with the "b" being different it is impossible to get it 100% in tune across all chords. This is why you have to drop the "b" when playing triads with the d, g & b strings.
Click to expand...
Have you even tried any of those tunings I gave you ?

:unsure:
 
Ben Waylin said:
Have you even tried any of those tunings I gave you ?

:unsure:
Click to expand...
I don't have a tuner that shows me cents. If you are saying this will get me the best possible tuning, i'll purchase one. Which one will show me cents the most accurately so as to be able to achieve these tunings? I use a TC PolyTune3
 
MontiCristo said:
no, sorry to be combative, but that's not correct. Use whatever tuner you like with the most perfectly set up guitar in the world. Because of the way a guitar is tuned with the "b" being different it is impossible to get it 100% in tune across all chords. This is why you have to drop the "b" when playing triads with the d, g & b strings.
Click to expand...
I think the 'properly set up' part is overlooked. Haven't you played certain guitars that just never really had sweet tuning but then others where they seem to play more in tune? And you'll tune forever with the bad one and it will got out of tune easily but then the sweet one can go out of tune a little and yet still not sound very sour.

That said, you are right that even a perfectly setup guitar won't be perfectly in tune. I don't like a flat high E string at all, I always try to make the high E string perfect. B-string ever so slightly flat, G string perfect (it usually goes flat easiest so start perfect), the D and A are perfect and def never sharp (they can tail off a tiny bit flat), and the low E is maybe the tiny, tiniest bit flat so I can hit it harder. If it's drop D it might even be a tiny bit flatter since it can easily go sharp by hitting it hard.
 
Ben Waylin said:
That's a "no", then.
Click to expand...
perhaps it would help if you clarified your position from the start. You have 5 different tuning options above and each are for specific van halen songs. I don't need assistance in getting certain songs in tune. What I am asking for / about is a "happy medium" tuning that would be the best option for all general playing.

I really don't think what I'm inquiring about is that difficult to understand.
 
SpiderWars said:
I think the 'properly set up' part is overlooked. Haven't you played certain guitars that just never really had sweet tuning but then others where they seem to play more in tune? And you'll tune forever with the bad one and it will got out of tune easily but then the sweet one can go out of tune a little and yet still not sound very sour.

That said, you are right that even a perfectly setup guitar won't be perfectly in tune. I don't like a flat high E string at all, I always try to make the high E string perfect. B-string ever so slightly flat, G string perfect (it usually goes flat easiest so start perfect), the D and A are perfect and def never sharp (they can tail off a tiny bit flat), and the low E is maybe the tiny, tiniest bit flat so I can hit it harder. If it's drop D it might even be a tiny bit flatter since it can easily go sharp by hitting it hard.
Click to expand...
thanks man, appreciate the response. So the question is, in light of the fact that it's not possible to get it "perfectly in tune" what is the best approach to get as close as possible so every chord sounds decent and it's not blaringly obvious the "E" is out when the "G" sounds great.
know what I mean?
 
Why do people over complicate everything ? As soon as you put your hands on the strings you pull them “ out of tune”.

Don’t fret because unless you’re completely inept you’re never more than a half step out of tune. And you can bend that far.
 
MontiCristo said:
thanks man, appreciate the response. So the question is, in light of the fact that it's not possible to get it "perfectly in tune" what is the best approach to get as close as possible so every chord sounds decent and it's not blaringly obvious the "E" is out when the "G" sounds great.
know what I mean?
Click to expand...
Play alot...you get better at everything about the thing.
 
I was really hoping for an intellectual conversation on this issue. I have been playing for 20+ years. It's not a matter of ability, and I don't understand the rude comments. Anyone who knows the instrument knows that it is not tuned across all stings in the same manner and it can be difficult getting accurate tuning across the board. This is why studio guitarist tune to each song and tune the guitar to itself.
I was just curious if anyone had combated this issue and come up with a realistic formula.

Wasn't my intent to start a mess.
 
MontiCristo said:
I was really hoping for an intellectual conversation on this issue. I have been playing for 20+ years. It's not a matter of ability, and I don't understand the rude comments. Anyone who knows the instrument knows that it is not tuned across all stings in the same manner and it can be difficult getting accurate tuning across the board. This is why studio guitarist tune to each song and tune the guitar to itself.
I was just curious if anyone had combated this issue and come up with a realistic formula.

Wasn't my intent to start a mess.
Click to expand...
Sorry that we aren't miracle workers. You admit it's a problem but don't even attempt to try solutions offered to you. What more do you want?
 
MontiCristo said:
f

fair enough. these look to be tunings for Van Halen tunes. But that's not what I asked / inquired about. Which tuning method allows for the closes "in tune" sound across all chords?
Click to expand...
I also tune down half a step.
I tune all the strings exactly 1/2 step down (except B) and I dont let the needle drop below zero on the decay. If at any time it goes below I sharpen it slightly so it bottoms out at exactly. Then the B string I let live slightly flat at around -4 to -6 cents.
 
I was really hoping for an intellectual conversation on this issue. I have been playing for 20+ years. It's not a matter of ability, and I don't understand the rude comments. Anyone who knows the instrument knows that it is not tuned across all stings in the same manner and it can be difficult getting accurate tuning across the board. This is why studio guitarist tune to each song and tune the guitar to itself.
I was just curious if anyone had combated this issue and come up with a realistic formula.

Wasn't my intent to start a mess.
TheBiggestJerk said:
I also tune down half a step.
I tune all the strings exactly 1/2 step down (except B) and I dont let the needle drop below zero on the decay. If at any time it goes below I sharpen it slightly so it bottoms out at exactly. Then the B string I let live slightly flat at around -4 to -6 cents.
Click to expand...
I hear ya and I have tuned that way several times as well, but then the E Major and A minor chords are out of tune.
seems as if I'm not accurately being understood here, so I'll just bow out.
 
Ben Waylin said:
That's because that old Internet wives tale' about Ed's tuning is completely oversimplified and wrong..

RWTD:

1st string: Eb +17.0 cents
2nd string: Bb +29.0 cents
3rd string: F# +35.0 cents
4th string: C# +35.0 cents
5th string: Ab +35.0 cents
6th string: Eb +29.0 cents


YRGM:

High E: +25.5 cents from Eb
.....B: +23.0 cents from Bb
.....G: +23.0 cents from F#
.....D: +25.5 cents from Db
.....A: +25.5 cents from Ab
-Low E: +23.0 cents from Eb


"Panama"

1st string: Eb +38.0 cents
2nd string: Bb +33.0 cents
3rd string: F# +29.0 cents
4th string: C# +39.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +32.0 cents


Hear About It Later:

1st String: -34.0 Cents
2nd String: -34.0 Cents
3rd String: -22.0 Cents
4th String: -22.0 Cents
5th String: -22.0 Cents
6th String: -34.0 Cents (Drop Db Tuning)


Ice Cream Man:

1st string: Eb +12.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +12.9 cents
3rd string: F# +14.6 cents
4th string: C# +15.0 cents
5th string: Ab +15.0 cents
6th string: Eb +12.7 cents
Click to expand...
for the record, i did purchase a tuner that dials in cents and utilized these tunings and they do not cause the guitar to be in tune throughout.
 
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