Who uses a tuner or can you tune by ear!!

Loel · #1 08-20-2006, 02:05 AM

I know most of you use tuners but are you dependant on it, can you tune by ear,
when i first started playin' bass tuners wern't out yet
(yeah i know old guy)so i had this little pitch pipe,would
use the A note only then tune the rest of the strings
with harmonics,does anybody still tune like this!!

peace

GSRLessard14 · #2 08-20-2006, 02:12 AM

I can tell when my bass is OUT of tune, but my ear isn't quite good enough to get it back in tune. I can make it sound decent, but nowhere near perfect.

So I usually use a tuner.

The Golden Boy · #3 08-20-2006, 02:29 AM

I can tune to harmonics or by fretting the proper note. But I'd much rather have a tuner and be closer to "right" than I believe my ears would get me.

lemur821 · #4 08-20-2006, 02:39 AM

I'll use a tuner when I when I want to be sure my bass is tuned to A440 (i.e. rarely), but normally I just make sure it's in tune with itself and whatever instruments I'm playing with by ear. I don't really like tuners. I generally only use them on stage, where tuning audibly would be wrong.

Naveed Afzal · #5 08-20-2006, 02:40 AM

I can tune with harmonics fast.

tuning straight open strings against a guitar, mandolin, violin, or piano is hard...

Akami · #6 08-20-2006, 03:17 AM

Onstage I always use a tuner, but I seldom use one during solo practice.

I use three methods to tune by ear starting with;
1) Harmonics
2) Fretted note comparison
3) Open string comparison of 4ths

Very often the third method gives me the most accurate tuning, even compared to the electronic tuner, which usually leaves a little bit of a "window of accuracy", thereby getting you usually close enough, but not perfect.

If you're going to perform, or play with others then get a tuner, but by all means learn to tune by ear as well, using at least two of these methods.

Almost everyone can/does use 1 & 2 and I remember reading a while back here that there's another method of comparing the vibrations felt through the body of the bass itself.
Might have been Cheese but I'm not sure right now.

Baryonyx · #7 08-20-2006, 05:35 AM

I can do it by ear pretty confidently, but especially in a live setting, I like to have the speed and ease afforded by a tuner. Plus, they come in handy becuase you don't need your ears, which can often be distracted during extended drum solos!

keb · #8 08-20-2006, 08:05 AM

I usually tune by ear, but I have a little Korg pocket tuner laying around in my tiny home studio setup just to be sure everything's (basses, keyboards, guitars) tuned to A440 when it comes time to record something.

I'm not quite sure I can claim to have perfect pitch, but I can usually grab an out of tune instrument and get it relatively in tune, plus or minus a few cents off A440, without the use of a tuner or other reference.

Flintc · #9 08-20-2006, 12:57 PM

Quote:

I use three methods to tune by ear starting with;
1) Harmonics
2) Fretted note comparison
3) Open string comparison of 4ths

I find these all work, and octaves produce "beats" when not quite in tune. The slower the beat, the closer you are. No beats=in tune.

However, even after all this, the tuner will tell you you're a couple cents off with every string. Tuning to the tuner never fails.

evan_phi · #10 08-20-2006, 01:37 PM

i tune by ear unless it is absolutely necessary to tune to 440Hz. for example: before an audition, playing with an accompanist, important gigs.

tplyons · #11 08-20-2006, 01:43 PM

Playing with a piano, I tune to that. Otherwise, I'll hit up a tuner.

I can tune by ear, but having one permanently attached to my signal chain is just so much more convenient

FrigginChris · #12 08-20-2006, 02:06 PM

I tune by ear when I play by myself, I use a tuner when playing with other people.

zoloo · #13 08-20-2006, 02:14 PM

I tune with the harmonics when I play alone, but I need a tuner to have a reference to tune the first string when I play with my band.

vindy500 · #14 08-20-2006, 02:15 PM

i dont see anything wrong with tuners, its like saying oohb roundwound strings, they werent always round, we shouldnt use them...

SteveC · #15 08-20-2006, 02:18 PM

For me it's not so much if one CAN tune without a tuner but if one SHOULD tune without a tuner. If it's a live gig, no one wants to listen to you tune. Use a tuner and your mute button. There's not much worse than listening to a band tune up befoe they play.

I've even thought of breaking tradition with my orchestra and not tuning (on stage) before we do a concert.

TL5 · #16 08-20-2006, 02:21 PM

Both.

I tune by ear when I'm alone. I use a tuner anytime there's people around.

I agree with SteveC one post back.

Jazzin' · #17 08-20-2006, 02:22 PM

I can tune the bass to itself pretty accurately, but it takes too much time. Using an electronic tuner takes like 20 seconds to tune.

62bass · #18 08-20-2006, 02:25 PM

Of course you should be able to tune by ear. How do you think we did it before electronic tuners? We'd tune to one note on the piano or to a tunung fork, then the rest of the instrument by ear. It sounded fine and if you were out of tune after that, you didn't know what you were doing. Guitar players id the same.

Things sure have gone downhill.

foyos · #19 08-20-2006, 02:31 PM

i can tune by ear but i like to use a tuner.it's safer more acurate etc...

vindy500 · #20 08-20-2006, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 62bass

Of course you should be able to tune by ear. How do you think we did it before electronic tuners? We'd tune to one note on the piano or to a tunung fork, then the rest of the instrument by ear. It sounded fine and if you were out of tune after that, you didn't know what you were doing. Guitar players id the same.

Things sure have gone downhill.

yep and once upon a time there was no such thing as the bass guitar, back then bassist played, well nothing. yep gotta hate it when technologly improves and ways of life change huh, im not anti ear tuning but i see no point in tuner hating.