Hey Everybody,
I have a question on tuning. I got a bass for Christmas, and I can play it alright, but I don't know how to tune it. I got a tuner with it, but I'm not sure how to use it, and it didn't come with very explanitory instructions. And I think I lost them anyway.
I switch it to bass, but I don't know if I'm supposed to have it on man or auto. Then I plug the bass in and pluck the strings [one at a time], ajusting the tuning knob until the little line that tells me if they're sharp or flat is in the middle and the little light is green. But when I'm done and all the strings are supposed to be in tune, they don't sound good together and the tuning with harmonics is off.
Also, there are the little letters in the corner of the screen on the tuner. They usually tell me the notes and string number, but on the D string it says HC. is that right?
I may have given way more information than someone needs to help me. If I did, I'm sorry for sounding whiney, or for boring you.
ERIN
Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake.
A clear conscience is usually a sign of bad memory.
What kind of tuner do you have (brand and model)?
If you put it on auto the tuner will show you what note you are on, be it E, A, D, G, or B. More, if it's a chromatic tuner. On man(ual), you press something (i don't know what since I can't see the tuner) to select the note you want to tune to. I like auto. Tune the strings to the notes E A D and G, from thickest string to thinnest. The notes repeat every octave, so finding the right octave takes a little practice. You want to be at the lowest note that's not too floppy to play on. I have no idea what HC means.
Thanks
My tuner's a Ibanez GU20. So, it'll say I'm in tune if I'm on the right note, even if I'm on the wrong octive?
Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake.
A clear conscience is usually a sign of bad memory.
Yes, it will. You can be on an E note an octave below (floppy), or an octave above (you don't want to be nearby when that snaps) the note you're going for. It still says you're in tune, since you are on an E after all. Your bass probably wouldn't be easy to get on the right note if you were that far out of the string's optimal tension range though.
Hi erin,
In my experience, playing more than one string at a time generally sounds bad on a bass (except in certain situations) whether the bass is in tune or not. Howeve, that could just be my cheap amp :P. Another thing to try is to plug into your tuner, and play the 12th fret instead of the open when the open strings are in tune, and see if these notes are in tune as well. If nnot, then you'll have to adjust the intonation, but we can cross that bridge if we come to it ;D
Hope this helps,
Brad
Use the Big Muff, Luke
At Brad - there are some really good sounds to be made by playing more than one note at a time. The bass has some good chords, they are harder to form than on a six-string lead/rythym guitar, but they still are cool. You can still do chords on a bass and be playing rythym.
It is a small world for metal fanatics. I welcome you fellow musicians, especially the metalheads!
At Brad - there are some really good sounds to be made by playing more than one note at a time. Â The bass has some good chords, they are harder to form than on a six-string lead/rythym guitar, but they still are cool. Â You can still do chords on a bass and be playing rythym.
While this is true, I'm not sure it's something to be confusing an absolute beginner with before he even plays his first note.
But good advice for the more advanced bassists looking to spicing up their act.
--
Helgi Briem
hbriem AT gmail DOT com
While you're on the subject of tuning. Paul pointed out you can register say a A note that is an octave flat, dead on, or an octave high. How do you guys/gals make sure you're not an octave off?
I change my strings now one at a time so I have a reference tension to go by. I cut the low E off, put a new one on, and start turning the tuning peg until I get to any E. Strum the string to feel the tension and listen to the sound. If I think it's too loose I keep winding. Mind you this is on a six string guitar, not a bass.
One time I got over half an octave sharp when I had no strings on the guitar for reference. I don't want to ever do that again.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
You just get a feel for it after a while. You can tell when the tension feels right and when the pitch is close, just because you've done it so many times.
