People see a musician playing a beautiful piece of music and think about how they make it look so easy. In actuality, it is not. The quality of the music played is always dependent on the accuracy of the set up. Many common guitar tuning problems can be identified and addressed to keep the music pitch perfect. Here are some common factors.
There is little a new pair of strings can't fix. Old strings with their dampened notes and loose feel may drop out of position. Tune with new strings and then be prepared to stretch them out for a a bit until their natural flexibility is worn off and they hold their pitch more effectively.
Always try to avoid major swings in temperature with your guitars. Heat will stretch the body and neck making them longer and have a higher pitch. In the same but opposite way, cold will compress the materials and loosen the strings dropping the notes. Significant changes in temperature are the bane of guitarists and must be avoided at all costs.
The bridge is connected to the body of the instrument and holds one end of the string in place. Using a screwdriver, many bridges can be adjusted to increase or decrease the scale length by a small amount. Dialing in the note in this way can help attain proper set-up but all corrections should be made according to manufacturer specifications.
The head at the end of the neck holds the tuning pegs. These pegs have the string wrapped around them and are tightened and loosened depending on need. Once set, they should hold the string but if they are made from cheap components they may slip and pitch is sacrificed. Replacement parts are cheap and the process of swapping pegs is quite simple. Just ensure that the replacement pegs are made to fit the openings on the head.
A poor carpenter blames his tools. Sometimes it's not the fault of the instrument but instead, the operator. Unfortunately not everyone was born with the ability to hear pitch perfect notes. For those that can, tuning forks and pitch pipes are fine to use but when the instrument still sounds out of tune, it may be time to bring in an electronic tuner. This will measure the frequency and deliver a verdict of whether the current note is above or below where it should be.
Try to avoid impacts and blows to the instrument. Some acoustics do not do well at all with harsh conditions and can sacrifice string tension easily. Some styles of play also strike hard on the playing area resulting in increased tension on the strings. This extra pulling can harm the pitch quality. It is far better to play emphatically but with care than to beat on the bridge and strings, unless re-tuning is something you don't mind.
A small amount of care goes a long way in resolving guitar tuning problems. Paying close attention to the age of the strings, the quality of components, general care of the instrument as well as using the correct tool to obtain the right pitch will go a long way to eliminating the most common issues. With that issue out of the way, the band can play on.
There is little a new pair of strings can't fix. Old strings with their dampened notes and loose feel may drop out of position. Tune with new strings and then be prepared to stretch them out for a a bit until their natural flexibility is worn off and they hold their pitch more effectively.
Always try to avoid major swings in temperature with your guitars. Heat will stretch the body and neck making them longer and have a higher pitch. In the same but opposite way, cold will compress the materials and loosen the strings dropping the notes. Significant changes in temperature are the bane of guitarists and must be avoided at all costs.
The bridge is connected to the body of the instrument and holds one end of the string in place. Using a screwdriver, many bridges can be adjusted to increase or decrease the scale length by a small amount. Dialing in the note in this way can help attain proper set-up but all corrections should be made according to manufacturer specifications.
The head at the end of the neck holds the tuning pegs. These pegs have the string wrapped around them and are tightened and loosened depending on need. Once set, they should hold the string but if they are made from cheap components they may slip and pitch is sacrificed. Replacement parts are cheap and the process of swapping pegs is quite simple. Just ensure that the replacement pegs are made to fit the openings on the head.
A poor carpenter blames his tools. Sometimes it's not the fault of the instrument but instead, the operator. Unfortunately not everyone was born with the ability to hear pitch perfect notes. For those that can, tuning forks and pitch pipes are fine to use but when the instrument still sounds out of tune, it may be time to bring in an electronic tuner. This will measure the frequency and deliver a verdict of whether the current note is above or below where it should be.
Try to avoid impacts and blows to the instrument. Some acoustics do not do well at all with harsh conditions and can sacrifice string tension easily. Some styles of play also strike hard on the playing area resulting in increased tension on the strings. This extra pulling can harm the pitch quality. It is far better to play emphatically but with care than to beat on the bridge and strings, unless re-tuning is something you don't mind.
A small amount of care goes a long way in resolving guitar tuning problems. Paying close attention to the age of the strings, the quality of components, general care of the instrument as well as using the correct tool to obtain the right pitch will go a long way to eliminating the most common issues. With that issue out of the way, the band can play on.
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