 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2016-08-03 01:14
I notice my tuner is calibrated to 440 Hz. It is a Korg CA-1.
Is this correct or should it be tuned to a different Hz? Guess it depends of how using it but I am looking for a general guideline. I usually was using it only to see if a C on clarinet is same as a C on the tuner for example. I usually tune my guitar to the clarinet. Then if want to figure out a song from say a CD I use a different guitar. But what is the usual tuning for the tuner supposed to be?Or what tuning for what given purpose? I find i am becoming confused by different tunings for clarinet, guitar, and recorded songs and need to know how to work with them.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2016-08-03 04:18
A=440 is the international pitch standard.
Of course not everyone adheres to 440, some use 441, 442 even 445 but 440 is the standard.
The more expensive tuners usually offer ability to change pitch between say 435 and 455 but if not adjustable then A=440 is the normal default.
Clarinet, Guitar and CDs should all be at the same pitch. However inaccuracies in your CD playback equipment may result in a deviation from this.
Your clarinet is a transposing instrument so written C on the Bb clarinet would sound Bb on the tuner.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2016-08-03 05:11
Norman Smale wrote:
> Your clarinet is a transposing instrument so written C on the
> Bb clarinet would sound Bb on the tuner.
>
And on your guitar. If you're trying to tune your guitar's A string to your clarinet's written A, your whole guitar is a step flat.
Karl
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2016-08-03 06:57
so I guess the tuner should be at 440 Hz for A and then the tuner would show Bb when play C on clarinet. I guess I had some idea there would be a reason to set it differently. Although at present I cannot think of a reason. I was tuning the guitar half step down so if I played a note like C on guitar it would sound like the C on clarinet. May have to do with learning a song on guitar then writing the note letters down and playing it on clarinet. Then writing the notes on staff. I find it easier to learn a song by ear using guitar.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-08-03 10:51
Everything you write for guitar tuned to Concert Pitch (so C = C on your tuner) will have to be written a whole tone (whole step) higher for clarinet, so if you're in the key of C on guitar, you will have to put everything up to D on clarinet to compensate for the (Bb) clarinet being built to sound a whole tone lower than written. When you play a C on a clarinet, it will sound as Bb and register as Bb (or A#) on your tuner.
So when writing for clarinet, don't pick a key with too many sharps - F# minor may be a good key for guitar, but it will put a Bb clarinet in a very awkward key of Ab minor which has 7 flats in the key signature - so that's nearly every note in the scale with a flat (apart from G if using a harmonic minor scale). Ab-Bb-Cb-Db-Eb-Fb-G-Ab. Not nice. Similarly with E Major on guitar which will be F# Major on clarinet (with six sharps) - F#-G#-A#-B-C#-D#-E#-F#.
So choose your key signatures wisely if writing for Bb clarinet - try to stick with keys from four flats to four sharps maximum on clarinet (Ab Major/F minor to E Major/C# minor on clarinet) following the circle of fifths (Ab-Eb-Bb-F-C-G-D-A-E and their relative minors), but stay somewhere in the middle.
I have two Korg CA-1 tuners and I think they're probably the best value tuner from a well respected maker and cost around £10 (+/-£2), so what's not to like? They can be calibrated all the way from 410Hz right up to 480Hz which is what some Highland bagpipers tune their drones and written/fingered A to (although it's really a High Pitch Bb calibrated at 453Hz by orchestral standards).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BGBG
Date: 2016-08-03 21:23
I never really did anything with the tuner but see what note I was playing on clarinet. And only very recently did I begin figuring out songs on guitar to write them as notes on staff. But I found it somehow helped to use guitar and wanted guitar note to match the clarinet note. I do not dislike the tuner-I like it very much, but was afraid I wasnt getting the most use out of it by just seeing if it said Bb when I played a clarinet C. Not even sure how to say what I am doing....only that I am working at it.
Used to just transpose something so it was easy to play but then realized I wasn't learning much or becoming more skilled.
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