Mykesbass Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1458075745' post='3004543'] I have mine clipped to the back of the headstock so you can't see much of it from the front anyway. [/quote] Ah, brains as well as talent! I'll have to try that out - I really ought to tune more than once a month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1458075889' post='3004549'] I really ought to tune more than once a month. [/quote] Join a jazz band, you'll never have to tune again. Edited March 15, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 [quote name='neilp' timestamp='1457914832' post='3003051'] Can you guys really not tune a bass? [/quote] is that really a serious question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 [quote name='neilp' timestamp='1457957481' post='3003283'] Do you not tune to the other musicians in your band then? As a matter of fact I do have perfect pitch, but I still always check tuning with guitar, keyboard etc. If you can't get the rest of your band to shut up and tune up, not much of a band IMHO [/quote] I see a lot of advantages in the ability to everybody tune by themselves anywhere at anytime... so I own a couple of tuners and I nearly always have one with me if I'm playing. I'm pretty sure you manage just fine, but it really strikes me as odd being surprised that many other people use electronic tuners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 [quote name='neilp' timestamp='1457963665' post='3003394'] Didn't mean to offend anyone! If anything I would think more of someone who wanted to tune the band as a whole, and I'm not suggesting we should do without tuners. I just think maybe we all rely on them too much. Even the very best orchestras often tune up between movements. Regarding the perfect pitch thing, I can transpose in my head, but It takes a LOT of concentration! [/quote] Ah, I see what your point is now. I thought you sounded like one of those proclaming "kids these days with their fancy gizmos know nothing anymore!" Apologies if I sounded a bit off. Dunno. If people depended on them to the point that they could not tune unaided, then I'd say they're ignoring an important skill, but I cannot say I've met anybody who is unable to tune by ear. It's just that tuners are faster, usually, and more accurate, and can be used in any situation, noisy or quiet, without others listening to your tuning process... so I'm a fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
project_c Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 As others have mentioned, these things are flawed anyway if they're picking up vibrations from other instruments. Was trying to use it again last night, the thing really is worthless. And having to mute strings constantly is really unnatural and time consuming, which defeats the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I used our guitarists floor pedal version last week with my doublebass, it did the G OK, struggled with the D but got there in the end but it couldn't even register the A and E. Hopeless for bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 [quote name='project_c' timestamp='1457916414' post='3003060'] Why, do you have perfect pitch? You'd usually need reference for at least one of the strings to be in tune with everyone else. Plus have you tried tuning a bass in a sweaty rehearsal room full of musicians setting up and getting ready to play? Good luck hearing yourself amongst that car crash. [/quote] I went decades without owning a tuner and in defence of the OP what has perfect pitch got to do with it? If it's just guitars, you tune to each other, you're probably all going to be in the general pitch ballpark anyway, so being slightly off isn't going to be an issue. If you have a fixed tuned instrument (keys), tune to that. Insofar as being in a noisy room, you set aside a few minutes to tune to each other. Band discipline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 [quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1458805276' post='3010957'] I went decades without owning a tuner and in defence of the OP what has perfect pitch got to do with it? If it's just guitars, you tune to each other, you're probably all going to be in the general pitch ballpark anyway, so being slightly off isn't going to be an issue. If you have a fixed tuned instrument (keys), tune to that. Insofar as being in a noisy room, you set aside a few minutes to tune to each other. Band discipline. [/quote] There are always ways to get around a problem. In the absence of electronic tuners the world will not collapse and a band will find the time to get together and tune. But... it's 2016. Electronic tuners are cheap and ubiquitous. No need for 'band discipline' whatever that means. Or, why make life harder than it needs to be? Remove the issue of tuning, and you have more time for all the other issues with a band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
project_c Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 [quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1458805276' post='3010957'] I went decades without owning a tuner and in defence of the OP what has perfect pitch got to do with it? If it's just guitars, you tune to each other, you're probably all going to be in the general pitch ballpark anyway, so being slightly off isn't going to be an issue. If you have a fixed tuned instrument (keys), tune to that. Insofar as being in a noisy room, you set aside a few minutes to tune to each other. Band discipline. [/quote] That's fine if your band has 3 members. Try it in a rehearsal room filled with 12 jazz noodlers busy warming up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Ok, but do you all then use the same tuner? If not you won't be in tune. Orchestras manage. Ever asked yourself how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 [quote name='neilp' timestamp='1459869119' post='3020410'] Ok, but do you all then use the same tuner? If not you won't be in tune. Orchestras manage. Ever asked yourself how? [/quote] Yes - it's too difficult so they don't bother. That's why orchestras sound like Paddy's moped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
project_c Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 [quote name='neilp' timestamp='1459869119' post='3020410'] Ok, but do you all then use the same tuner? If not you won't be in tune. Orchestras manage. Ever asked yourself how? [/quote] eh? I don't get it. we don't have to use the same tuner to be in tune, we just have to tune to the same tuning system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 If you seriously believe all your electronic tuners give you the same result, there's no hope.... It takes a 70-piece orchestra about 45 seconds to tune up. Any more and the conductor will start firing people... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorris Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 [quote name='project_c' timestamp='1459878949' post='3020557'] eh? I don't get it. we don't have to use the same tuner to be in tune, we just have to tune to the same tuning system. [/quote] I assume it's about tuners having different accuracies - opting for strobe types for accuracy etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 [quote name='rmorris' timestamp='1459931118' post='3020860'] I assume it's about tuners having different accuracies - opting for strobe types for accuracy etc. [/quote] Even so, I'd suggest that the majority of electronic tuners would agree about what was 'in tune' with each other better than human beings without perfect pitch (i.e. most of us mere mortals). For giggles (I'm an insomniac at the moment) I tried four tuners together last night, two clip-ons, a Polytune from the jack socket and a Boss using a built in mic. They all roughly 'agreed' (i.e showed as 'in tune') but the two polytunes disagreed about whether it was 100% or not (still showed green but the headstock tuner showed being slightly sharp). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 [quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1459931999' post='3020874'] ...I'd suggest that the majority of electronic tuners would agree about what was 'in tune' with each other better than human beings without perfect pitch (i.e. most of us mere mortals)... [/quote] We're doing well if we manage to get everyone in the same room at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 [quote name='neilp' timestamp='1459892995' post='3020707'] If you seriously believe all your electronic tuners give you the same result, there's no hope.... [/quote] If you think that the differences between tuners are more significant than the differences between people's ears, there's no hope... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 I don't think that, but I do think that, as a general principle, it's more important to be in tune with each other than with a little green light, and it would be a good thing for a band - any band - to make a habit of tuning up as a band before they play. After all I can go to an orchestral performance with my bass perfectly tuned to my tuner, but what happens if the A from the oboe doesn't match? Do I tell her she's flat, or do I tune to her? It's a skill we should all learn IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 [quote name='neilp' timestamp='1459940207' post='3021021'] I don't think that, but I do think that, as a general principle, it's more important to be in tune with each other than with a little green light, and it would be a good thing for a band - any band - to make a habit of tuning up as a band before they play. After all I can go to an orchestral performance with my bass perfectly tuned to my tuner, but what happens if the A from the oboe doesn't match? Do I tell her she's flat, or do I tune to her? It's a skill we should all learn IMHO [/quote] and I would not disagree with that... but having that green light as a common ground, regardless of whether the other members are around or not and the ability to tune silently is just too useful in practice to ignore. We have a trumpet and a sax player in my band... they just ask me for a high G (guitarists are too busy doing... who knows what ) and they're ready to go within seconds... the guitarists and myself use the little green light and it makes things (in my view) simpler onstage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 Depends which instruments are playing. If there's an acoustic piano or an oboe or similar it's going to be different. If it's two guitars and bass then little green light it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 Orchestras don't play to small rooms of noisy drunks and they don't have DJs blasting out loud music while they're preparing to go on. So I don't feel bad about using a tuner at gigs rather than doing it by ear every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1459942947' post='3021064'] Orchestras don't play to small rooms of noisy drunks and they don't have DJs blasting out loud music while they're preparing to go on. So I don't feel bad about using a tuner at gigs rather than doing it by ear every time. [/quote] especially if you use a Pitchblack... you can make it look like K.I.T.T. how cool is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
project_c Posted April 6, 2016 Author Share Posted April 6, 2016 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1459937429' post='3020970'] If you think that the differences between tuners are more significant than the differences between people's ears, there's no hope... [/quote] This. But also, I'm not implying that people shouldn't tune to each other. There is really no great skill in tuning yourself to a piano, it's not like it's some great noble skill that is disappearing in modern times, it just takes a bit longer. Tuners exist to help you be in tune, and speed up the process. We don't have to use a clock to tell the time, we could just use the sun and our gut feelings, we don't have to use a thermometer or look at weather reports, we could just go outside and see what happens, but there are things which help us with these tasks, so we use them to make life a bit easier to navigate. That's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 6, 2016 Share Posted April 6, 2016 [quote name='project_c' timestamp='1459944492' post='3021094']We don't have to use a clock to tell the time, we could just use the sun and our gut feelings, we don't have to use a thermometer or look at weather reports, we could just go outside and see what happens, but there are things which help us with these tasks, so we use them to make life a bit easier to navigate. That's all. [/quote] Quite. I don't need to get on the scales to know I have a "muscular frame...' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.