Ear Training

[GuitarHitman]

How long did it take everyone to learn how to tune by ear?

And is there any programs that can help?

[cyberfret]

I think one of the best tools for learning how to tune by ear is an electronic tuner. You can tune the 6th string, then tune the rest of the strings by ear. Then use the electronic tuner to check and see if you were right.

Here is one that I would recommend. In this day an age, I would suggest a chromatic tuner. A standard guitar tuner that only tunes to E A D G B E is really obsolete.

Korg CA-20 Chromatic Tuner

--Shawn

[GuitarHitman]

Thanks!

I can normally tune all the other strings in if I have at least one in tune (5th fret method) but that's no good unless I can tune them all without having one in tune 1st.

Thanks Shawn.

[Slash]

Hi there..

They are a few reliable guitar tuners for your PC

Audio Phonics guitar tuner - free and most accurate.
Guitar Sidekick ( thats what its called i think...Its ok.)

and a very many more...

I would suggest you route the guitars output directly into the soundcard if you are in a noisy enviro.(*MESSY*) otherwise a std. mic would do.

Good luck
Nikhil

[E-string]

I don't know if I'm the norm, and the fact that I was a musician on other instruments before I started playing the guitar has a lot to do with this... so DON'T take my experience as the standard, please!!!!

I have a pretty good ear, basically. I have an electronic tuner, and I use it. But if I can get just one string in tune to whatever (record, CD, another instrument) I can take it from there... Mostly I just sense it... The six strings one after another have a melody and I just KNOW when it sounds like the right sounds... I get pretty close to exact even when I check against a tuner...

I think for me a lot of ear development occured back in the days when I was playing the alto saxophone, too. Playing guitar just improves it all that much more I think...

Okay, honestly, to answer your question... it took me about a day to learn to tune by either electronic tuner, keyboard, or 5th fret method (although it took me a few more days to MEMORIZE that 5th fret method...lol). It took me several weeks to tune just by feel, 'cause it took me that long to get the feel of the standard tuning inside me (sort of like getting a six-note guitar solo deeply ingrained inside of me, I guess).

My usual method of tuning is to tune all six strings with a tuner or with someone else's instrument when I start off, and then tweak it if something still feels off-key... and I may fine-tune if I need to as I go along.

[GuitarGuillermo]

Depends on how you define "Tune".
I dont mean to get all Clintonoid on you, but i Don't have perfect pitch, and i dont think i ever will. So i've been playing for nearly two years and still cant tune perfectly by ear. I can tune until it sounds right to my untrained ear just checking against chords and by 5 fret, but thats it.

[Coffee]

This is a long post, but it has a lot of information. Wade through and you'll learn a lot. There are several things to consider. First, do you play with others or only by yourself.

If you play with others, then you will have to tune with precision which is easiest using some kind of tuning machine and everyone should use the same one if your having problems. Not all tuners are created equal. If you play only by yourself it is okay if the tuning is relative.

If I'm only playing by myself I will use the base E string as reference and tune the others as follows. For ease of understanding the high E string will be referred to as 1 and counting toward the base string 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Please read carefully as the method changes for string 2 in both methods. Both methods will help your ear. If you're tuning an electric by these methods, it should be tuned with the volume off on your amp so all you get is the sound of the string. Distortion and other effects will throw the tuning way off. These methods are for standard tuning.

Method 1

This method is inferior to method 2 but is easier for beginning guitarists.

Play a note on 6 at the fifth fret. This note is the same as string 5's open pitch.
Once string 5 is in tune with six then:

Play a note on 5 at the fifth fret. This note is the same as string 5's open tuning. Satisfied? Then:

Play a note on 4 at the fifth fret. Same as 3 open.

Play a note on 3 at the FOURTH fret. Same as 2 open.

Play a note on 2 at the fifth fret. Same as 1 open.

This tends to be imprecise because you cannot let both notes sound at the same time while you tune. You may find it still sounds out of tune. Usually though you can hear in the chord which note seems out so you can simply go to that string and try again as above at that location.

Method 2

This method uses a harmonic technique that allows much closer tuning. For new guitarists playing harmonics can be difficult but here's how.

Harmonics

A harmonic in this case is a note which will ring clear at a different pitch on a string without having to continue holding down the string at that given location. The easiest fret to do it on is the 12th fret. I suggest you learn this technique on the 6 string since it is heavier and will tend to ring easier.

With your left hand, barely touch the string on the 12th fret with your right hand pluck or strike string 6 and almost immediately lift your left hand from the string. If executed properly the note will ring out 1 octave higher than the open note. When you get it here, move on to do it on each of the other strings at the 12th fret. These are not only used for tuning by the way, they are used often by advanced players within musical compositions.

From there move on the making harmonics on the 7th fret. These are harder to do and sound a note 1 octave and a major fifth higher than the open note. (Don't worry about this just practice making the harmonic.)

When you get these down move on to the tuning method.

Tuning

Begin by tuning as per method 1 above then:

Play a harmonic on 6 at fret 12 and on 5 at fret 7. What you will here is the same note 1 octave apart. The advantage here is that you can turn 5's tuning peg because your left hand is now free from holding down a fret and you can do it while both notes are sounding.

If the strings are in tune with each other the sound should be harmonious and pleasant. What you will find if they are not in tune with each other is that you get a dissonant (or unpleasant) type of throbbing sound. If you get this do not stop the strings from ringing but turn the tuning peg of the higher note string until the dissonance goes away. This is usually very little of a turn. Play with the sound of the strings. This disonance/harmonious sound, is what ear training is all about.

Harmonic tuning is as follows:

String 6 fret 12 and string 5 fret 7
String 5 fret 12 and string 4 fret 7
String 4 fret 12 and string 3 fret 7
String 6 fret 7 and string 2 open
String 2 fret 12 and string 1 fret 7

This works great in a quiet environment.

You can also get the guitar in proper pitch if you can't afford a tuner by purchasing a tuning fork for A440. This fork is an octave higher than the open a 5th string but can easily be used to set the guitar to the "right" pitch. Strike the fork on a hard object,
(not the guitar), and hold the fork in your teeth. Play the open A (5) and tune accordingly. There's your reference. The only difference is that in this case once A is in tune, it is left alone so 6 is tuned to 5. Then use the methods above.

As far as guitar tuners are concerned there are several considerations. The cheap ones (which I personally like also for when I do solo work or am recording parts over each other) normally have a built in mike and cable jacks for plugging your guitar into. If you're using an accoustic you simply use the microphone. If your using an electric, plug it in, do not tune through the sound of your amp. Make sure the one you buy has a cable plug in and out so it can remain in line with your guitar to your amp, just turn your amp down and tune it. The main weakness with these things is most do not disconnect the microphone when you have jacked in. This means that if your in a noisy environment. Outside noise will confuse the tuner. Obviously if you only play accoustic and have no amp connection, you're stuck with this weakness anyway. You'll have to go into a quiet room to tune.

Better quality tuners will disconnect the mike when you jack in. This allows you to tune under noisy conditions, and if your performing... without the audience hearing you tune up (you did turn the amp down right)?

If you still can't get your guitar to tune, take it to someone who knows guitars. It may have a problem that needs to be fixed. My niece had a guitar with a floating bridge that was all but impossible to tune. Very frustrating for a beginner.

[GuitarHitman]

Heh. I know how to tune using the 5th fret method and I have a tuner to check it over. I knew the harmonics method but i'd forgotten it so thanks for reminding me.

It's just that I saw my guitar teacher tune the guitar in straight away with out help of any other guitar nor instument nor tuner but obviously he must of been playing a while.

[Coffee]

Your right hitman and I neglected that. (For others following this thread)

The harmonic on the 6 string 5 fret is a duplicate of the harmonic on 5 string 7 fret. Method for tuning B (2 string) remains the same. 5th fret harmonic is again more difficult to play than 7 fret. Others even harder are 4 and 6 frets.

[Guitar_guy]

Hi,
There is a product called "Perfect Pitch Ear Training SuperCourse" I just read about it in an ad in GuitarPlayer Magazine. It promises a lot and I don't know if it's worth to buy it or not. I mean if it does what it promises it's worth, but, does it? You can find more information in there site.
http://eartraining.com
:)

[cyberfret]

Originally posted by Guitar_guy
Hi,
There is a product called "Perfect Pitch Ear Training SuperCourse" I just read about it in an ad in GuitarPlayer Magazine. It promises a lot and I don't know if it's worth to buy it or not. I mean if it does what it promises it's worth, but, does it? You can find more information in there site.
http://eartraining.com
:)


I had that perfect pitch course until I loaned it to someone and never got it back :(

In the time that I worked with it, I did see how one could develop perfect pitch at least on a basic level with a LOT of work. But in the end having good relative pitch is much more useful and a better way to spend your time.

Perfect pitch is where you hear a note and know what it is....A, B C# etc... If you hear another note right after it, you will be able to hear what the pitch of that note is. This really will start to become confusing when your guitar is tuned down a half step, or a whole step....or even just a little out of tune.

Relative pitch is where know what the first note is, then hear the relationship between it and the second note. You learn to hear the relationship by sound. By far this is a 100 times more useful.

--Shawn

[E-string]

Originally posted by cyberfret

But in the end having good relative pitch is much more useful and a better way to spend your time. --Shawn

YES!!!!

I have almost no sense of perfect pitch, but that really has never been a handicap for me, and I haven't gone to any real effort to correct that "problem" ... LOL

Relative pitch is what I've lived and breathed on, regardless of instrument... :D

[Goat_Herder]

took me a while to learn how to tune normal by ear, prolly about a year b4 i culd really tune well by ear, got the KORG GA-20, check if im right, but alternate tunings i still hav trouble with, mainly the really low ones
not sure if any of this was a help at all as im reading it, but i figure i dont hav much better to do, sry to waste every1's time
hehehe

[treyphish]

i feel like i'll never be able to tune by ear......wow i'm positive arent i .........ha ha ha

[Goat_Herder]

youll be able to tune by ear, it comes with time, hang in there, it pays off
rock on