 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: clarinetdaddy
Date: 2009-09-13 02:22
Hello All, What do you think is the best Tuner for our instruments to use?
clarinetdaddy
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing".
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Author: GBK
Date: 2009-09-13 02:29
clarinetdaddy wrote:
> Hello All, What do you think is the best Tuner for our
> instruments to use?
Your ears ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
...GBK
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Author: gigaday
Date: 2009-09-13 12:32
For those of us without perfect pitch, one could try an electronic chromatic tuner (about 20 USD, GBP, EURO whatever). I have a Qwik Tune brand and it's very useful both for tuning guitar and to check clarinet pitch throughout the range and in different climatic conditions.
Tony
Post Edited (2009-09-13 15:30)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-09-13 14:47
The inexpensive Korg CA-30 is more than good enough. If you are advanced enough to work on non-equal-tempered tuning, the Korg OT-120, at around $100, is the way to go.
By the way, it helps only a little to go one note at a time, centering the needle on each. Instead, you set it to play a note and practice tuning intervals by ear.
Ken Shaw
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Author: William
Date: 2009-09-13 16:16
Next to my ear, I like my Seiko tuner/metronome combo. It is compact, easily carried in my clarinet case and it has a sweep needle rather that the blinking dots LCD readout on many cheaper tuners. I like the needle because it give instantaneous feedback moving smoothly as the pitch changes up or down. I also have a Korg and it is a great tuner, but the Seiko is just easier to pack and carry with me.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-09-14 18:52
I like what GBK says, that your ears are most important.
Of course, start out with a tuner that has an analog needle (if they even make those anymore) or the wheels.
I prefer tuning mostly to a generated tone. The caveat is, if you don't have prefect pitch, you will tend to hear high, and tend to hear higher as the notes get higher so switch to the needle to really tweak the higher notes.
Many times I just leave the tonic droning in the background as I do scales, scales in thirds, etc.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-09-14 20:23
The ones with the mechanical needles are better than the LCD, IMHO (although I'm not sure how easy to find they are these days).
I have a Seiko and a Korg. Both work well and have lasted for many years.
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Author: RAB
Date: 2009-09-15 12:01
The best tuner is a piano. My teacher in the symphony had me play a chord, hold the pedal down and then match the pitches with my instrument.
He also had me sing the pitch and match it with my voice. He then had me sing the pitch sharp and go to the pitch and then sing it flat and then go to the pitch. This is tough but boy does it ever help!!!
Mr. Howard Gray, a great repairman in Huntington WV, who has passed several years ago told me to listen to a musizk station and play the melody with the violins, they are studio players and they do not play out of tune. You learn how to play in tune and to play "by ear"
Remember if you play only with a tuner you are training your eyes to respond to a needle, not your ears.
Hope this helps
RAB
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2009-09-15 12:28
RAB wrote:
> The best tuner is a piano.
Which is subtly out of tune in many notes when compared to other tuning standards. The best tuner is still your ears - without out those you can't tune to a piano chord or to other chord (tuning to a piano chord is different than tuning to a chord played by strings in many instances).
It's all a matter of listening and adjusting - and then, finally, after much practicing, "not thinking" about the adjustment but knowing that it's right for the moment.
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Author: RAB
Date: 2009-09-15 13:18
Mark you are right,
the entire exercise of matching pitches on the piano is to train the ear and the player to match other pitches and performers.
pianos will be out of tune, string players "favor" notes depending on the scale degree and the chord progression, whenever I see a "unison with" marked I need to listen and use my ears.
there is no exact pitch, the ultimate goal is to use our ears!!
RAB
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2009-09-15 16:14
Hi,
No matter what tuner, it must be used correctly. Time after time I have seen inexperienced player staring at the tuner and adjusting the embouchure to center the needle.
Play your tuning note, get it stabilized, and then look at the needle. Better yet, have your stand mate hold the tuner and tell you how you need to adjust the instrument.
But then, the ear must constantly be used to make any necessary adjustments as your reed or the temperature in the room changes (usually gets warmer and the pitch goes up).
The tuner will put you in the general area but then the ear does the fine tuning.
HRL
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Author: jparrette
Date: 2009-09-19 01:38
If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, check out the app CLEARTUNE. I find it much easier to use than other tuners I've bought. I think it was 4 bucks.
John Parrette
CLARION MUSICAL SERVICES
john@clarionmusical.com
914-805-3388
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