Tuning On The Fly
- Thread starter MikeS
- Start date
snarf
making guitars wish they were still trees
I can't say that I have that happen often enough to know what I do or don't do. You might try comparing octaves to get a better idea of whether it's sharp or flat. If it's the 4th string, compare to the 3rd fret D on the 2nd string. If it's the 3rd string, compare to the 3rd fret G on the 1st string.
An exercise that may help is something that I taught myself to do after seeing someone else do it years ago. More often than not, when I tune, I'll use a tuner for the high E on the first string, and then turn the tuner off and tune the other strings relative to that one. No tuner, no harmonics, and no 5th fret/7th fret. Just play the open 1st string and then tune the open 2nd string relative to that one. Then tune the open 3rd string relative to the 2nd string. Takes a little practice, but being able to tune that way has come in handy more than a few times, and it's faster than any other tuning method I've found because you're not looking for specific frets or trying to chase what your tuner tells you.
An exercise that may help is something that I taught myself to do after seeing someone else do it years ago. More often than not, when I tune, I'll use a tuner for the high E on the first string, and then turn the tuner off and tune the other strings relative to that one. No tuner, no harmonics, and no 5th fret/7th fret. Just play the open 1st string and then tune the open 2nd string relative to that one. Then tune the open 3rd string relative to the 2nd string. Takes a little practice, but being able to tune that way has come in handy more than a few times, and it's faster than any other tuning method I've found because you're not looking for specific frets or trying to chase what your tuner tells you.
It's always the G string. 
Elwood
Blues
Two Mike.
Isolate the register. Easier to figure whether it is the fat three or the skinny three, a cowboy D on just the skinny three will tell you quickly if the rascal is there or on the bottom.
If you don't know, loosen. Every time. You will never "make it better" until the string pops that way. Non-locking tuners are best brought up to pitch anyway.
Or you could get one of the new hi tech tuners that read all strings at once.
Isolate the register. Easier to figure whether it is the fat three or the skinny three, a cowboy D on just the skinny three will tell you quickly if the rascal is there or on the bottom.
If you don't know, loosen. Every time. You will never "make it better" until the string pops that way. Non-locking tuners are best brought up to pitch anyway.
Or you could get one of the new hi tech tuners that read all strings at once.
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Crossroads
Thump the Bottom
It's all relative right? I'll tune the open A to a tuner and then tune everything to the A string. B= 2nd fret G = 10th fret. D=5th fret E 7th frat. Then play open A open D and open G chords and you'll hear what's out. I have a polyphonic tuner and usually end up fine tuning by ear on top of that. most guitars I use now are Floyd Rose
JestMe
Student Of The Blues
one thought for after you find the, out of tune, string and are deciding if it is too low or too high is to. tune the string using a fretted note...and apply a slight bend to the string to see if that brings it into tune.
Example if trying to tune the 2nd string use the open 3rd string [G] and compare it to the 2nd string 8th fret [G]. Then try bending the G played on the 2nd string to see if that brings it in tune. If so the 2nd string needs to go higher. or vice versa... fret / bend the in tune string.
Or use a snark...
If you listen closely while tuning, you can hear, 'the beats', kind of a warbling of the 2 notes clashing. As the string gets tuned the beats will slowly slow down until they are in sync. Kind of like a strobe tuner but using audio.
Example if trying to tune the 2nd string use the open 3rd string [G] and compare it to the 2nd string 8th fret [G]. Then try bending the G played on the 2nd string to see if that brings it in tune. If so the 2nd string needs to go higher. or vice versa... fret / bend the in tune string.
Or use a snark...
If you listen closely while tuning, you can hear, 'the beats', kind of a warbling of the 2 notes clashing. As the string gets tuned the beats will slowly slow down until they are in sync. Kind of like a strobe tuner but using audio.
Yeah, none of these suggestions (Except maybe Papa) address what I'm talking about.
It seem pretty clear that I was not clear at all with my question...
I KNOW how to tune a guitar. Duh after 60 years of playing that's ONE thing I HAVE figured out.
You are in the middle of a song...
you just finished a solo...
you are moving through the rest of the song but now your chords don't sound "right"...
I've seen other players just reach up twist the right tuning peg and then keep playing.
Snarf: I don't see how I could compare octaves in the middle of a song too much going on to hear it and it might/would mess up the song.
Elwood & Crossroads: I can't play a random chord in the middle of a song.
It seem pretty clear that I was not clear at all with my question...
I KNOW how to tune a guitar. Duh after 60 years of playing that's ONE thing I HAVE figured out.
You are in the middle of a song...
you just finished a solo...
you are moving through the rest of the song but now your chords don't sound "right"...
I've seen other players just reach up twist the right tuning peg and then keep playing.
Snarf: I don't see how I could compare octaves in the middle of a song too much going on to hear it and it might/would mess up the song.
Elwood & Crossroads: I can't play a random chord in the middle of a song.
snarf
making guitars wish they were still trees
Totally understand. That key was missing from what you said initially. Shy of what you said about just reaching up and tuning on the fly, you're not going to be able to tune mid-song. I'm not going to be any help to you on this one. Like you said, you can't stop the song in the middle just to tune.
Just thinking out loud, maybe you could still incorporate the octave thing if you've got a band or backing track going behind you. Hit the root and an octave for whatever chord is playing and try to listen through everything else. That way you're not just playing a random chord and the note will fit what everyone else is playing. Like someone else said, I know in my experience, the strings that usually don't sound in tune are either the G or the B. If that doesn't work, I got nothing. You'll just be stuck grimacing with every just-off-chord until the end of the song.
CaptainMoto
Blues Voyager
Just keep playing for 60 more and eventually it will come to you.
Crossroads
Thump the Bottom
Why Stop Now?
But seriously you're not talkin about being in tune, but not being noticeably Out Of Tune. For me it's usually the g-string or the high e.
If you can't hear it, and are playing with a band or a backing track, you could either arpeggiate the chord to isolate it, or step on a polyphonic tuner which would mute the your output and one quick strum you'll see where your problem is.
PapaBear
Guit Fiddlier
I've known a few guys who have that good of pitch, not sure I'd want to be able to hear that good, they could tell you the notes that are flat or sharp in the chord
JohnHurley
Rock and Roll
There certainly are a number of pros that seem to be able to hear what string is off and fix it.
But i know other people playing out for fifty years that can only fix between songs.
If its just you playing by yourself then you can probably get by once a night by stopping in a song and laugh and say “wait sorry i have to fix a string who can tell me which one is off?” I have seen that work before ... then snark away real fast while audience guesses? Save that for when its killing your soul ...
But i know other people playing out for fifty years that can only fix between songs.
If its just you playing by yourself then you can probably get by once a night by stopping in a song and laugh and say “wait sorry i have to fix a string who can tell me which one is off?” I have seen that work before ... then snark away real fast while audience guesses? Save that for when its killing your soul ...
Silicon Valley Tom
It makes me happpy to play The Blues!
To heck with concern for being out of tune! Just change the pitch of your voice to match the strings! 
Tom
Tom
ChrisGSP
Blues Journeyman
Process of elimination; couple of ideas. Say the song is in G. Wait for the G chord to come around. Elwood made a good suggestion above - "cowboy D chord" - but shift it up the neck to G. Just the top three strings - does it sound OK? Then one of the other strings is the culprit (but that's rarely the case). So, let's assume that G chord on strings 1, 2 and 3 sounds a little bit "off". Now you know it's 1, 2, or 3. Next chord (or whenever), mute the first string. Then mute the second string. You're gonna find it. Once you know which string, It's almost always gonna be flat, (and BTW it's almost always gonna be one of the strings that you bend).
And after 60 years you don't have to be told this, but nevertheless - just go to youtube and look at some of the old C,S,N or C,S,N,Y live gigs - hear how badly Stills' guitar got out of tune and he just kept singin' like an angel as if nothin' was wrong (bad foldback in those days so he probably couldn't hear himself anyway) - my point is that even Superstars sometimes get out of tune.
And after 60 years you don't have to be told this, but nevertheless - just go to youtube and look at some of the old C,S,N or C,S,N,Y live gigs - hear how badly Stills' guitar got out of tune and he just kept singin' like an angel as if nothin' was wrong (bad foldback in those days so he probably couldn't hear himself anyway) - my point is that even Superstars sometimes get out of tune.
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ChrisGSP
Blues Journeyman
Hi Mike, here's another "outside" suggestion. I used to know a guy who would reach up above the nut and give the offending string a hard tap with the tip of one finger (while muting the string with the other hand). The idea being that as you bend a string you stretch the whole string (not just what's between the nut and the bridge), and sometimes the string will bind a little bit in the nut, so the tension stays high between the nut and the tuning peg, and consequently low between the nut and bridge, thus sounding a tiny bit flat. When you whack it with your finger it slips in the nut and the tension equalises - string back in tune, voila!
CaptOblivious
Blues Junior
Check out TC Electronic Polytone3, displays tuning of all strings simultaneously while playing as jestme also suggested.
https://www.tcelectronic.com/Categories/Tcelectronic/Guitar/Tuners/POLYTUNE-3-MINI/p/P0DHQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=137&v=YnuBrr02ZDM&feature=emb_logo
https://www.tcelectronic.com/Categories/Tcelectronic/Guitar/Tuners/POLYTUNE-3-MINI/p/P0DHQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=137&v=YnuBrr02ZDM&feature=emb_logo
Al Holloway
Devizes UK
Yep got one on both my boards. Set to buffered mode it shows the tuning constantly. Great for practising bends as well.
cheers
Al.