Which tuning frequency should I set on my tuner?

[Anders Barfod]

A4 above middle C4 on the piano and is the modern standard reference pitch.
From there the piano tuner tunes the rest of the piano in 12 TET or the oboe player plays this note and the rest of the orchestre tuned their A to the oboe wheter it is 110Hz 220Hz or 440Hz.
The only widespread tuning standard with 12-Tet besides 440Hz is the french 435Hz (1859) which was adopted in Europe in a lot of countries and recommended at a congress in Vienna 1885.
I find this pitch more suitable for dramatic opera and rock music where staying connected (vocal folds) and maintaining more of a chest sound (Less wovel modification) at the second passaagio is the norm...

 

[RickyWoo]

I don't understand... A wikipedia article I'm looking at on bass guitar tuning says A is only 55 Hz (nowhere near 440 Hz).... all six strings only go from B at 30.868 Hz to C at 130.813 Hz. ???

Mark

A4=440 Hz (the 49th key on a piano) is the pitch that is being referenced. Its not the Hertz of your open A string. Its just a reference pitch that you are tuned to. Meaning any octave of the note A is still in tune with the A4=440 Hz standard.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

A is only 55 Hz (nowhere near 440 Hz)

440 Hz / 55 Hz = 8
440 Hz is the 8th harmonic of 55 Hz

or maybe the 3rd harmonic
55 Hz x 2 = 110 Hz
110 Hz x 2 = 220 Hz
220 Hz x 2 = 440 Hz
(3 deep)

generally a harmonic is double that of the original tone

 

[Ekulati]

generally a harmonic is double that of the original tone

Hmmm...you're just thinking of the octaves. The harmonic series has many other relationships other than 2:1.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Since 440 can be divided by 55, it's a harmonic.
I'm just not certain of which one it would be labeled, LOL!

 

[bassdude51]

A = 440. The standard.

A stringed instrument stays in tune for about 10 minutes or less. The body heat in our hands goes into the strings and neck and the pitch goes down.

Tuning is a never ending battle.