Double Bass Good Practice Tuner

[Anon2962]

Despite what Conor might think, it's not "rediculous" to have it on when learning a piece. It's much easier and cheaper than hiring a pianist every time you want to practice.

Woah! Drones (i called um referance notes) are great - I wasn't very clear with my last post. What I meant was looking at the needle to check if each note is in tune while playing a piece is rediculous! The drone is a great tool. Drone on.

 

[Anon2962]

If your strings are close to pitch just tune your harmonics so all the strings are in tune with eachother.

Sometimes we are forced to do this, like when we don't have a tuner or iano nearby, but it's generally agreed that it's better training for your ears to have have the bass at concert pitch all the time.

 

[Jazzin']

The Bos TU-2 has a fast response. It's also very accurente. You also do not have to look up since it's on the floor.

 

[jimclark68]

It's not a portable solution, but I practice using the tuning pitches generated by Band-In-A-Box. It allows for quite a bit of flexibility in the pitch it generates, which has more fundamental than my Korg CA-30 that I use when I'm away from my computer.

 

[PaulCannon]

So when using a drone do you find it affects you much when modulation accurs? I know it wouldn't be to bad in closely related keys but if it's a modern piece where it's just impossible to tell tonic or dominant don't you find it hard tell if you're really being honest and keeping it in tune?

I've been using a drone on all my scales long enough to know when pitches are in or out of tune, regardless of what the droning pitch is. While it's usually nicer to have the tonic droning, it isn't necessary. You should be able to make tritones and major sevenths sound as in tune as unisons and fifths.

 

[mikael182]

right now i'm tuning it to my electric bass, but i would like to buy pitch pipes and just tune it by ear. i seriously want my ears to be trained. anybody here been to solfegge lessons? i find them really helpful

 

[Dave Whitla]

Sir, Your ear is for that...

G

Absolutely! The most important part of learning to play in tune is learning to HEAR when it's in tune (or not ). Use the tuner to get your open strings in tune (at concert pitch!) and then practise. You have to practise listening just as much as you have to practise getting your hands to do what you want them to.