quiestion about tunning

[robert wilsonjr]

i tune in 440standard.my guitar guy tunes in 440chromatic. i wasnt happy with the action on my bass. he said it was out of tune.after tunning the action was great.do ineed to start tunning in chromatic and why.it sounds great

[mambo4]

1.) "tuning" not "tunning"
2.) tuning to 440hz is unrelated to "standard" nor "chromatic" settings on a tuner:
tuners vary, but typically "standard" means "show where you are vs the standard notes of your open strings" (generally accompanied by a "guitar/bass" mode)
while "chromatic" means " show whichever note you are closest too."
They do no produce different tunings unless
---a.) you deliberately choose an alternate tuning
---or b.) one of your tuners are not calibrated correctly.
3.) action = string height, and as a matter of individual preference, is better described as "high /low" rather than "unhappy /great" - if you want good feedback.
4.) the act of tuning your bass should not change the action significantly, you might want to take the bass in for a setup job.
(this assumes that you did not start off with strings tuned ridiculously too tight or too slack.)

and finally
5.)Learn to tune by ear. It benefits you in more ways than just being able to tune: it is the first step towards exercising a musical ear.

[oniman7]

I'm confused why tuning changed the action... standard tuner and a Chromatic tuner should both tune to E standard, EADG, or whatever one you choose. What notes did teh chromatic tuner say when you used it?

[robert wilsonjr]

im sorry i tune opean string.i use a peavey digatal tuner.when i tune in440 my strings rattle and when i got it tuned by my guitar guy it raised the action and didnt rattle i came home plugged up to my tuner and everythingwas sharp.i swithched to chromatic and every was in tune

[robert wilsonjr]

i dont know why the action changed but it did.im new to bass so im still trying to learn some of the basic stuff.i thought it might be the tuner went out and bought another one and its the same wayi thought ineede it set up to but when he tuned with a rack mount chromatic tuner it raised the action

[Russell L]

I wanna say it just ain't possible that tuning up will change your action unless you're going from all the strings being slack at once to start. Then, when they are all up to tune the neck might change shape a tad, maybe enough to show higher action. But, if you were nearly in tune to start with and your teacher just topped them up, I don't see how it could happen. Maybe a miracle? Otherwise, whether Standard or Chromatic, both should read the same. One tuner could be more erroneous than the other, though, I suspect.

[robert wilsonjr]

thanx for all the help. i found out what i was doing wrong.i had the flat button pushed on the tuner didnt pay the symbol no mind.so iwas tuning way low.when my teacher tuned it it brung the tension wher it was suppose to be.thanx for the help

[James Judson]

Mambo needs to study "just intonation" vs "equal temperament". Then he would say use the tuner ALWAYS.

[Russell L]

Originally Posted by robert wilsonjr

thanx for all the help. i found out what i was doing wrong.i had the flat button pushed on the tuner didnt pay the symbol no mind.so iwas tuning way low.when my teacher tuned it it brung the tension wher it was suppose to be.thanx for the help

Aha, so it was as I expected. Your strings were very slack at the start and the correct tension raised the action by bending the neck a tad. Right?

[Rune Bivrin]

My head hertz from reading this.

If the strings are slack due to being tuned way low they will flop more when you play, and thus rattle against the frets. Correcting this doesn't change the action particularly, but the rattle will be reduced anyway.

[251]

Originally Posted by Rune Bivrin

My head hertz from reading this.

<snip>

LOL. That's a funny play on words, in English.

[ffutterman]

The original post might be sig-worthy

[mambo4]

Originally Posted by James Judson

Mambo needs to study "just intonation" vs "equal temperament". Then he would say use the tuner ALWAYS.

No, I wouldn't. A difference of < 0.5 hertz on the A,D and G is unlikely to be noticed in practice (at least by me).
IMHO discussion of Just vs Equal temperament in a thread posted by an obvious beginner is not useful.

I feel tuning by ear is an irrefutably good skill to develop, if only for the sake of your developing your musical ear.
It would also make obvious something like having left the "flat" button pressed and ending up a half-step off from your guitarist.
Just vs Equal temperament concerns are a distant tangent at best.

I'm not suggesting abandoning tuners (I wouldn't dare try to tune by ear in crowded bar gig.)
It's also a good idea for everyone to use the same tuner if possible, if you aren't sure how to calibrate your tuners.