If A=440?

[smogg]

If A=440, What Is 1/2 step higher? In other words A#/Bb=?

[fdeck]

Type the following into Google:

440*2^(1/12)

That's for an equal tempered scale.

[REAPER52]

http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html

[smogg]

AAARRRGGGHH.......my tuner only goes up to 445

[azureblue]

google: Pitch to frequency converter / chart

[smogg]

OK, here's the deal. Song is recorded in Eb but singer has to sing it 1/2 step down which = D.
In order to get fingering positions correct I need to tune my bass 1/2 step "up" in order to play it on 5 string bass with CD.

My tuner only goes up to 445 and I need to tune @ 466, what to do?

[Murder_Worship]

do you have a sharps/flats button?

[CapnSev]

Originally Posted by smogg

OK, here's the deal. Song is recorded in Eb but singer has to sing it 1/2 step down which = D.
In order to get fingering positions correct I need to tune my bass 1/2 step "up" in order to play it on 5 string bass with CD.

My tuner only goes up to 445 and I need to tune @ 466, what to do?

Learn to play it in a different position? There is no need to re-tune a 5-string for a song in D that I know of. There is no such thing as a "correct fingering position".

If you are changing tunings to follow a guitarist, I would suggest that it's time to learn the notes on your fingerboard so you don't have to tune to a bunch a wacky tunings.

[fdeck]

Tune your bass while fingering it at the 11th fret.

But in any event, I agree with CapnSev.

[smogg]

Originally Posted by CapnSev

Learn to play it in a different position? There is no need to re-tune a 5-string for a song in D that I know of. There is no such thing as a "correct fingering position".

If you are changing tunings to follow a guitarist, I would suggest that it's time to learn the notes on your fingerboard so you don't have to tune to a bunch a wacky tunings.

Yer not getting it...I know my "abc's, transposing is not the issue. It is about tuning my bass to the key it is being sung in ( by the singer in the real band ie: D instead of Eb) and being able to play along with the CD at the same time.

[Blake Bass]

It is about tuning my bass to the key it is being sung in ( by the singer in the real band ie: D instead of Eb) and being able to play along with the CD at the same time.

I do this pretty often but instead of retuning my bass for every song that was recorded a little sharp or flat of 440, I tune the CD to my bass by using The Amazing Slowdowner software program. It works great for this and it is great for transcribing and learning tunes.

[CapnSev]

Originally Posted by smogg

Yer not getting it...I know my "abc's, transposing is not the issue. It is about tuning my bass to the key it is being sung in ( by the singer in the real band ie: D instead of Eb) and being able to play along with the CD at the same time.

Maybe I'm not getting it. I don't understand why you can't play along with the CD in a different position. I virtually can't think of any logical reason why you would ever have to tune a 1/2 step up, especially on a 5-string.

i.e. - I play in a soul band, and when we do Stevie Wonder tunes, they are all tuned 1/2 step down (Eb instead of E etc.), and while my guitarist changes guitars to one that is slack-tuned, I just move my hand from the 5th fret on the B string (E) to the 4th fret on the B string (Eb) and play the patterns from there.

If I were you and playing in D, I would have my root note (D) on the 3rd fret of the B string, or the 5th fret of the A string, or just the plain ol' open D string.

[Kenner]

My apologies for being "slow".....

Are you trying to play it with the singer and CD at the same time? Even though the singer is singing it a half step lower, and your trying to tune a half step up?

[Slax]

Originally Posted by smogg

OK, here's the deal. Song is recorded in Eb but singer has to sing it 1/2 step down which = D.
In order to get fingering positions correct I need to tune my bass 1/2 step "up" in order to play it on 5 string bass with CD.

My tuner only goes up to 445 and I need to tune @ 466, what to do?

Little confused here. So you want your open E string to be an F string? So, couldn't you tune using the A that's normally at fret 5 and fret it at fret 6? (Same for A,D,G strings, or I guess Bb, Eb, Ab strings )

If you have a chromatic tuner, this would probably be a lot easier.

[CapnSev]

I also don't get why you're tuning a half-step up to get to the key of D. A whole step down would be much easier.

[ric stave]

1) What kind of tuner are you using?
2) 440/441/442/443.... are calibrations for slight variations from 440, not to be used to tune a 1/2 or whole step off.
3) Depending on what kind of tuner you have, or even without the tuner, tune 1 string up a 1/2 step, and then use that as the reference for the rest. OR just learn the song off the CD as it is, and THEN transpose it.

[smogg]

Originally Posted by CapnSev

Maybe I'm not getting it. I don't understand why you can't play along with the CD in a different position. I virtually can't think of any logical reason why you would ever have to tune a 1/2 step up, especially on a 5-string.

i.e. - I play in a soul band, and when we do Stevie Wonder tunes, they are all tuned 1/2 step down (Eb instead of E etc.), and while my guitarist changes guitars to one that is slack-tuned, I just move my hand from the 5th fret on the B string (E) to the 4th fret on the B string (Eb) and play the patterns from there.

If I were you and playing in D, I would have my root note (D) on the 3rd fret of the B string, or the 5th fret of the A string, or just the plain ol' open D string.

I need to play in the key of D to a song recorded in Eb on the CD. If I play it in Eb I play it on 4th fret on the B string I match CD just fine. But LIVE it will be played in the key of D (1/2 step lower). In order to get my runs "memorized" I need to be able to hit Eb @ 3rd fret on B string instead of 4th fret (to play along w/CD), therefore I need to tune up entire 5 strings 1/2 step.
make sense now?
It is a wonderful challenge non the the less and i really appreciate your continued input.

[CapnSev]

Originally Posted by smogg

I need to play in the key of D to a song recorded in Eb on the CD. If I play it in Eb I play it on 4th fret on the B string I match CD just fine. But LIVE it will be played in the key of D (1/2 step lower). In order to get my runs "memorized" I need to be able to hit Eb @ 3rd fret on B string instead of 4th fret (to play along w/CD), therefore I need to tune up entire 5 strings 1/2 step.
make sense now?
It is a wonderful challenge non the the less and i really appreciate your continued input.

I understand what you are trying to do, and I'm trying to make things easier. Easier to me would be to just shift my runs 1/2 step down when I play the song live.

[smogg]

Originally Posted by Slax

Little confused here. So you want your open E string to be an F string? So, couldn't you tune using the A that's normally at fret 5 and fret it at fret 6? (Same for A,D,G strings, or I guess Bb, Eb, Ab strings )

If you have a chromatic tuner, this would probably be a lot easier.

OK; that might work going the other direction (need to be tuned B#-E#-A#-etc.), could not see the forrest for the trees, thanks

[Kenner]

transpose, bring another bass for that song (I do for a grouping of 3 songs in a block that we do live), or pick a song the singer can sing that doesn't require you to do this.

Taking the time to tune 5 strings (before and after) for one song creates WAY too much dead air between songs. IMHO, no one song is "that" worth playing live....just sayin.........