The Tuning C.D. / Drones

[SirFunk]

Hi all,

I've been playing bass for ~12 years now, and I've been having some issues with intonation that have become a serious stumbling block for me. Someone recommended i use The Tuning C.D. and after some research it seems highly recommended. However, it seems very difficult to get. All of the online retailers which the site (http://www.thetuningcd.com/) claim to carry it, say that they can't get the cd anymore from the manufacturer. I've contacted them directly to see if they are still making it but have yet to get a reply.

My question is: has anyone actually used this cd? what makes it special from a normal drone? Is it something i could quickly whip up with a synthesizer? Does anyone recommend any other drones/drone cd's?


Thanks in advance for any info,

-Jeff Utter

[hdiddy]

You might want to look at some of the more expensive Boss Metronomes. I bought a DB-90 which is a great metronome and more importantly drones everything up to 3 octaves. It's a bit pricey but the cheaper ones more do the same for less. Probably alot easier to use than a CD.

[jcvlz]

I simply use the General MIDI ocarina (or maybe the pan flute)sound on my $99 Yamaha synthesizer-I think it's number 186? The "real" ocarina sound has a vibrato and that won't do for a drone! I also found that if I turn on the synth with the sustain pedal depressed, it will sustain the note I play when I release the pedal. Or you could just lean a heavy book on the pedal.

HTH!

John

[BGreaney]

I just use the Korg tuner and metronome. Around $20 each I believe. Gets the job done without burning a hole in your pocket.

[SirFunk]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I have a korg metronome now that can play a reference pitch, but it's not very loud nor is the range very wide (just one octave).

I contacted the people who make The Tuning C.D. They still have it, but you can only get it by mailing a check/money order to them. Also, I'm curious as to what it actually is, is it $20 for a cd that just drones sine waves? or is there more to it?

I think, for the fear of dropping $20 on a cd that is no more useful than a tuner, I'll just do something with a synth setup some sin wave drones or something. Hopefully that'll help.

Thanks all,

[Peter Ferretti]

If you have a soft synth type thing on your computer then you can just use that. I'd add probably the root, and octave above the route, and the fifth and your in business. I did that for every note and bounced it to a disk and it works perfectly. I wouldn't be surprised if thats what the CD company does anyway.

[b1644]

Originally Posted by SirFunk

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I have a korg metronome now that can play a reference pitch, but it's not very loud nor is the range very wide (just one octave).

I contacted the people who make The Tuning C.D. They still have it, but you can only get it by mailing a check/money order to them. Also, I'm curious as to what it actually is, is it $20 for a cd that just drones sine waves? or is there more to it?

I think, for the fear of dropping $20 on a cd that is no more useful than a tuner, I'll just do something with a synth setup some sin wave drones or something. Hopefully that'll help.

Thanks all,

Well, I suggest you don't give up on the tuning cd yet...

I have the tuning cd and use it in practically every practice session... I personally think it's well worth the $20 and hassle of sending a money-order.

You could make do with some simpler sound generator like a tuner, lots of people do, but mine isn't nearly loud enough and has no line-out to put it through an amp. That's why I got the tuning cd.

While I haven't got an oscilloscope to examine the tuning cd's wave-forms, they're certainly not just simple sine waves. There's a perfect 5th in there and a whole bunch of upper harmonics that give it a kind of electronic organ-like sound. Whatever the wave-forms are, when an out-of-tune is played against it, it stands out like the proverbial sore thumb so it seems to work.

The first 12 tracks go through all 12 keys, each 3 minutes long. I don't quite recall what the rest of the tracks are but I think they're all key-of-C but with different, more complex harmonies than the 5ths of the first 12 (5th's work for major and minor keys and some of the other modes as well).

Anyway, the big advantage of the tuning cd is that its intervals are in pure intonation, not equal-tempered like a piano so it's easier to hear when you're in or out of tune.

"YMMV"

- Martin

[Stan Haskins]

So , what does the cd have on it? Are they long notes up and down a chromatic scale, Major scales in every key, . . .? Is there music to accompany it, or do you just memorize the pattern?

[SirFunk]

Originally Posted by Stan Haskins

So , what does the cd have on it? Are they long notes up and down a chromatic scale, Major scales in every key, . . .? Is there music to accompany it, or do you just memorize the pattern?

It's just a drone, it holds out long notes (from what i understand octave, fifth, and overtones) So you can play whatever you want over it, scales, etudes, portions of pieces. It's so you can hear how what you are playing relates to the tonic, to hopefully, develop the ability to play the same things away from the drone equally in tune.

After b1644's post I think i'll be ordering myself one.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

[JazzDude]

Originally Posted by Stan Haskins

So , what does the cd have on it? Are they long notes up and down a chromatic scale, Major scales in every key, . . .? Is there music to accompany it, or do you just memorize the pattern?

I've had this CD for years now. It has a drone track for each of the 12 notes with the odd harmonics, which match your chord tones. This is especially useful if you play harmonized parts.

It also has seven chord interval tracks each for C, C#, and D.

I use it mainly for practicing interval jumps on the DB - arco and pizz. It's also great for brass and woodwind.

[SirFunk]

Hey all,

I ordered the tuning cd and received it last week. I must say it is pretty helpful. I found that music123.com had it in stock and it was at my house within a few days.

As for the contents of the CD. It has a tuning drone in every key, the drone sort of sounds like an organ sound with root fifth and lots of upper partials. It also has some fuller chords at the end of the cd.

Playing with the cd, i can hear pretty easy when i'm in tune and out of tune. I would say it's definitely worth the $21 i spent on it.

-Jeff

[norcalsurfer]

I have been using mgp's that I down loaded from

http://www.navarrorivermusic.com/

It has the complete circle of fifths. I believe she is playing the original tone on the cello and then correcting it digitally. The downloads are $9.95. I play them in "repeat mode" using iTunes.

I am finding them very helpful for improving intonation.

[Jack Clark]

I use the cheapest Finale program--NotePad ($10)--to produce cello drones in all 12 notes, as well as arpeggios, intervals, vertical chords, scales, intonation exercises, etc. You can make them in any instrument you want. I'm a Mac person, so I play them back through headphones on my slow-downer / pitch-changer, Audiolobe.

[¡bassballbill!]

Finale notepad isn't free anymore?!

[Jack Clark]

Finale NotePad is free for a trial period. Then you have to cough up the ten bucks. Maybe it used to be free, but it's not now. Or maybe you're thinking of Finale Reader or Finale Viewer, both of which are free.

[Bill Bentgen]

Free 3-octave scale accompaniment mp3's here:

http://www.billbentgen.com/podcast/index.htm

Jason Heath has 1, 2, & 3 octave scales available.

[dtosky]

Hi, just saw this topic and wanted to recommend a CD of cello drones that I have used with fairly good results. It's available here:
http://www.navarrorivermusic.com/cello_drones.php

I don't know if someone had mentioned these already, I didn't bother to read all the comments. I greatly prefer the cello drones to the sound of my DB-90 and plus then I can actually use it as a metronome at the same time.

- D. Tosky