Does a guitarist need a chromatic tuner? What is a guitar tuner? Chromatic guitar tuner

This information will be of interest to people who are starting to learn to play the guitar and learn the basics of playing this musical instrument. And accordingly, they have many questions that are not directly related to playing the guitar. One of these issues is guitar tuning.

There are many ways to tune your guitar. The main ways to tune a guitar are:

• Tuning a guitar using a tuning fork
• Tuning a guitar using another tuned musical instrument (for example, it could be a piano or harmonica)
• And finally tuning the guitar using a tuner

In this article we will look at the latest method and models of guitar tuners, their subtleties and differences.

Guitar tuners come in different types, from different companies, respectively. Combined versions of a tuner and metronome in one housing are possible. There are clip-on tuners, floor-standing and tabletop guitar tuners.

Probably the most convenient tuner that can be used at small concerts and at home is a clothespin tuner. The guitar tuner clothespin looks like this:

A more professional solution is a floor-mounted tuner, but its use will be discussed in a publication, but for now let’s return to our topic. So, we present to your attention the ENO 3100+ tuner (in the picture on the right) and a tuner with a built-in metronome, but we will start the review with the ENO 3100+ guitar clip-on tuner.

Turning on the tuner

There are different design features of tuners. Some models have only one button. In this case everything is simple. You need to hold down this button and wait for the tuner to turn on (the same action must be performed to turn it off).

If the tuner has several buttons like the model we are considering, you need to find the on/off button, usually it is on/off and perform a similar action.

After we turn on the tuner, the tuner display is illuminated and we see an arrow on the screen, as well as an instrument tuning indicator:

Start tuning your guitar with a tuner

Let's start with the mode G( used to tune a guitar in classical tuning ) . This mode is for tuning your guitar. This mode is very easy to use; it is designed for tuning a guitar in standard tuning. You can see the standard guitar tuning below.

Here's what the tuning of a six-string guitar looks like on the staff:

These designations in English look like this:

1. Mi - E
2. C - B
3. Salt - G
4. D - D
5. A - A
6. MI - E

When plucking the sixth E string the arrow should be in the middle and E will naturally be shown on the screen, if the arrow is deflected or the letter of the note on the screen differs from the one needed for this string, use the guitar peg to tighten or release the string until the desired effect is achieved.

If the tuner shows the note we need, but the arrow is not in the middle, but for example in the lower right corner, this means that the string still needs to be pulled until it reaches the middle, and if the arrow is in the left corner, then the string is overtightened and we need to lower it a little. If it's to the right, the string is understretched; if it's to the left, it's too tight. The tuner also helps beginner guitarists not to break the strings (for convenience) :)

The first and sixth strings are tuned to the same note E(MI), but the first and sixth strings of the guitar are in different octaves. This topic will be discussed in a later lesson. I think this should be a separate topic. Need to remember for now basic guitar tuning Mi - E, Si - B, Sol - G, Re - D, A - A,MI - E

All other strings are tuned similarly - E (E sixth string), A (A), B (D), G (G), B (B), E (E first string).

One more subtlety when tuning new strings. Now we have put new strings on the guitar and we need to tune the guitar to standard tuning. But after tuning the strings, the tuning of the guitar begins to float (get out of tune). In order to reduce this effect, we place our hand with an edge near the bridge or between the pickups and slightly spring the strings, that is, I stretch them, and this can be done several times, so that the strings “steel” faster and begin to clearly hold the tuning.

In today's article I want to tell you about guitar tuners. Let's consider what it is and what they are. In one of my articles I already talked a little about such a device as, in this article we will talk about them in more detail. So let's get started.

A guitar tuner is an electronic device of simple design that is used to tune a guitar. I have already mentioned and said more than once that a tuner is simply necessary for beginning guitarists, since beginners have very poorly developed hearing and it will be very difficult for them to tune the guitar in any other way. In addition, it is very convenient when you need to tune your guitar in noisy places, where it is very difficult to tune the guitar by ear. And in general, using a guitar tuner, you will save your precious time, since you can always tune your guitar quickly, accurately and without much effort.

Now let's figure out what kind of tuners there are and start getting to know them. All guitar tuners can be divided into two categories:

• Simple guitar tuners
• Chromatic tuners

I would like to note that both of these categories of guitar tuners are called digital tuners.

Simple digital guitar tuner

A simple digital guitar tuner is, so to speak, a simplified modification of digital tuners. Such tuners only recognize notes that correspond to the sound of open strings in standard. It automatically detects which string you are currently tuning and uses indicator lights to show you whether to lower or tighten the string being tuned. Such tuners have a number of disadvantages:

• First drawback. These tuners, apart from the basic 6 notes that correspond to the open strings of a standard guitar tuning, do not recognize other notes. And accordingly, you will not be able to determine notes in any other positions using the tuner.
• Second drawback. You cannot tune your guitar to any other tuning other than the standard tuning.
• Third drawback. This tuner only perceives the sounds of a guitar; it does not perceive the sounds of any other instruments.

Chromatic guitar tuner

Chromatic tuners are already quite universal devices. All those disadvantages that are present in simple tuners are absent here. Such tuners do not cause any difficulties when tuning a guitar, since they always show the nearest note to the one that is currently being tuned, and you always see whether you have tightened the string or not yet. Therefore, I recommend that you do not save money, but buy good chromatic tuners, because the difference in price between simple and chromatic tuners is now only 300 -400 rubles.

Many chromatic tuners are equipped with a microphone and connection jack so that you can tune both acoustic and electric guitars. Also, some tuners have a frequency calibration function, this is very useful when, for example, you are adjusting a guitar to some other musical instrument whose notes correspond to other frequency ranges. Many chromatic tuners also have built-in metronomes.

Computer guitar tuners

In addition to live digital guitar tuners, computer guitar tuners have also become widespread. These are special programs that are installed on a computer, or online via the Internet, that allow you to tune a guitar. Sound is perceived through a microphone, so in order to tune your guitar through a computer tuner you must have a microphone. The microphone can be absolutely anything, either built-in on a laptop or any other, for example the one that comes with headphones.

Well, that's all I wanted to tell you about guitar tuners. Let me remind you once again that a guitar tuner is a must-have for beginners. Nowadays, you can easily tune your guitar through a microphone using computer tuners, but if you want to have a digital tuner in a physical version, then purchase multifunctional, chromatic tuners.

“The concert was a failure. This is a mess of sounds, not music!” It’s unpleasant to read such a review when all efforts were given to the performance, and endless rehearsals were in vain. Dissonance cut the ears in every beat.

An out-of-tune instrument will put the musician in an awkward position, and will cause discomfort for a demanding listener. Therefore, a guitarist should not only stock up on mediators, but also keep a tuner on hand.

Configuration programs

The set of defining utilities is huge. Each of them copes with the task. It doesn't matter whether the program is written for a PC or a mobile phone. At home or in the studio, they are great for setting up.

In a concert environment, software tuners are useless. No one will connect a guitar to a computer or hold a smartphone to the strings. But the instrument must be tuned throughout the concert. There is a way out, but first let’s look at the types of guitar tuners. Each of them has its own purpose.

Guitar tuners: general characteristics

A whole line of devices has been developed for the most popular musical instrument. If an accordion or flute does not require tuning (which is basically impossible), then a guitar needs it every day.

It is enough to put six strings in order, and the instrument will sound. Guitar tuners are not overloaded with functions. Their task is to accurately determine the pitch of six notes.

Acoustic tuners

The signal is collected by the built-in microphone. This is an easy device to set up. By and large, it is no different from the software tuner installed in a smartphone.

Pros: compactness and low price. The microphone works well in the frequency range of guitar strings. Therefore, this tuner can handle tuning better than software.

The downside is the dependence on extraneous noise. Any sound will definitely cause interference. Acoustic waves can add up and change frequency and amplitude.

Clothespins

The principle of operation is similar to acoustic tuners, but the pickup is not a microphone, but a piezoelectric element that records the vibration frequency of the guitar soundboard. This method gives a fairly accurate result, since it does not depend on external noise. However, there may be variations in the frequency measurement due to body resonance, which distorts the pitch of the note.

Tuners powered by line output

The pickup captures the frequency of the string as accurately as possible. Its vibrations cause electromagnetic induction and are transmitted through the circuit to the amplifier. No external noise or vibration of the case affects the sound.

Tuners that receive a signal from the line output determine the pitch of a note with an accuracy of hundredths of a hertz. The most convenient of them are pedals. In idle mode, they pass the signal directly to the amplifier, and when turned on, they begin to work as a tuner. The sound from the guitar does not go to the speakers, and the musician can tune the instrument during a pause.

Chromatic tuners

The standard tuning is based on the reference frequency of the note “A” of the first octave, equal to 440 Hz. But there are times when the instrument sounds lower or higher. Many concert grand pianos are tuned to a tuning fork of 444 Hz. This adds expressiveness to the sound of solo piano works. The opposite situation is also possible, when an antique piano is tuned significantly below the modern standard.

In such cases, you have to adjust the tension of the strings on the guitar. The note “A” of a rare German piano can sound like a modern “G”. As a result, you can only tune your guitar by ear or using a chromatic tuner. He understands all 12 notes of the scale. With its help, you can tune any instruments whose sound pitch differs from the classic six-string.

To prevent the performance from turning into a cacophony, it is better to take care of setting up the instruments in advance. The guitar will make an excellent duet with a concert grand piano or chamber harpsichord. The main thing is to sound on the same wavelength.

Hi all!
I would like to continue the short (so far) story of acquiring accessories for my musical career.
Today I will show you a review of a pedal - a chromatic tuner for an electric guitar.
In short - it's worth taking, it's a worthwhile thing.

And now more details.
I play a Yamaha RBX375 bass guitar, about 5 strings, in drop A tuning.
Before this, I was tuning using the Aroms clip-on tuner or the GuitarTuna android application. But there were some subtleties here: the clothespin turned out to be very capricious in its installation location, for example, in order to catch the 5th string correctly, it was necessary to rearrange it on the headstock several times. Well, I can’t help but mention that these clothespins die if you drop them (apparently the piezo sensor falls apart). Well, you can’t use the application during a rehearsal or on stage.
Having scoured thematic forums, I didn’t find much on the choice of tuners. Unless everyone advised to pay attention to sensitivity, because... Not all tuners can pick up the 5th string on a bass.
Looking at Avito, I turned to Ali. Here, too, the choice turned out to be quite large, but in the description of the pedal that I am now writing to you about, there was a review that it catches the 5th string of the bass in drop A! Without thinking twice, I pressed the “buy” button.

purchase screen

Delivery is stunningly fast!

I was simply amazed at such speed!

At the post office I received an ordinary gray package with a box inside.

Additional Information

The Chinese are frankly greedy for the baby bump, there is only 1 thin layer of it under the postal packaging!
Surprisingly, the box was not damaged at all, all corners were smooth and uncreased. It is interesting that the manufacturer amoon is written on Ali, and on the box there is a certain Fzone Technology.

Additional Information

Let's open it.
The pedal, wrapped in cellophane, nestles comfortably in the box.

Additional Information

We take it out and weigh it on our hand (the battery in the scales died, alas). The weight is light and pleasant. There is no play, the power button sits firmly in the socket. The ends of the connectors are also quite firmly planted.
In general, I liked the assembly. Neat and high quality.
On the top panel there are controls and indications:
-main power button
-pitch button, switching frequency
-flat button, lowering the tone
- operation indication
- the display itself, showing the symbol of the “heard” note, and also telling you in which direction the pegs should be turned to tune the sound correctly.

let's spin around

On the right edge of the pedal there is a power connector (9V with a “minus” inside, like almost all guitar pedals), an Input connector where the guitar is plugged in, but on the left there are 2 outputs - Bypass and output. The difference between them is that in Bypass mode you will hear the sound produced by the guitar when tuning, and through output you need to turn on the pedal with a button. In principle, I liked playing through the bypass more in order to constantly monitor the condition of the strings. But this is not for everyone.

Turn the pedal over. On the back is the battery compartment cover. It is standard under the “crown”, but the lid has a glued anti-slip rubber “foot”. Strange decision, but oh well...

Additional Information

We put the battery in and close it.

The pedal turns on with a pleasant click, no worse than the AMT BC-1 and BP-1 I have. In standby mode, it blinks with a red LED.

We connect the guitar and start comparing it with a clip-on tuner and a tuner in Cubase. The guitar is connected via a tuner to an ESI Juli@ sound card.

Additional Information

By default, the pedal is the same on all strings, Cubase shows that the strings are “overtightened”. Literally a little, but still. We try to switch frequencies. The result with Cubase was equal at pitch value “9”. I don’t know what frequency is active in this mode, but it picks up all the strings smoothly.

Additional Information

We put a clothespin on the “head” and compare it with it. Hmm... but it matches!

Next, the last test, which was supposed to tell us in what mode on stage the pedal should be used. This is a test of how much the signal level drops as it passes through the pedal.
So, the guitar is connected via bypass, let’s compare it in the “pressed” and “released” states. I played the same part twice, and superimposed one impulse on top of the other.
The result in the photo: the tuner circuit “eats” 8 percent of the maximum volume level by eye.

Additional Information

Therefore, I decided for myself that the tuner will always be active at concerts, and in the future pedalboard its place will be allocated at the beginning of the chain so as to avoid accidental pressing.
I played for 3 hours at the rehearsal with a pedal, I liked it, I regularly tightened the strings after active hammering)

As a bonus, instead of a pet, I’ll show you a blank for a pedalboard)
The effects chain for my bass guitar so far looks like this:
1. FZone PT-01 (reviewed tuner)
2. AMT B-Packer BP-1 (optical compressor)
3. Marshall SV-1 (SV1) Supervibe Chorus (analog chorus)
4. AMT Bass Crunch BC-1 (bass preamp)

Additional Information

Thank you all for your attention!
PS. took a photo on a slipper!

I'm planning to buy +3 Add to favorites I liked the review +8 +10

We will not discover America by saying that playing an instrument out of tune is the last thing to do. And it doesn’t matter what level you are at, whether you’re just starting to study or packing stadiums, a deviation of even a semitone in the first case will lead to pointless attempts to find out why the chord that seems to be played correctly does not sound, and in the second - to general disappointment. Of course, there are lovers of old, proven tuning forks and specimens with absolute pitch who tune the guitar by ear, but we are sure that such people are in the minority. This article will not be interesting to them. For those who want to quickly and accurately, and most importantly, very easily, tune a guitar, we will try to answer the main questions related to a guitar tuner, because without one it will not be possible.

The principle of operation of all electronic tuners is the same: they recognize the sound that an instrument makes (in our case, the open string of a guitar) and display how well it matches a certain note. The first guitar tuners (by the way, the first household music tuner, Stroboconn, went on sale in the United States in 1936) displayed information using a scale, the middle position of the arrow on which indicated that the instrument was correctly displaying the specified note. Modern tuners are equipped with LED / LCD screens, but on most of them the style of displaying information remains the same: an arrow on the scale indicates how much lower or higher the sound is compared to the desired note and in which direction the peg should be turned. The middle position of the arrow is the ideal way to hit the note, while in many models the color of the backlight changes.

What types of guitar tuners are there?

Guitar tuners are divided into types based on the principle of receiving the incoming signal.

First of all, let's understand the concept of a chromatic (Chromatic) or non-chromatic (non-chromatic) tuner. A non-chromatic guitar tuner can only determine compliance with the standard tuning of a 6-string guitar - EADGBE, that is, 6 notes. It cannot detect other notes, so it is not suitable for tuning non-standard guitars or other stringed instruments. The correct tuning in such tuners is displayed either in the form of a scale or using three LEDs for each string: the middle one lights up when the sound of the string matches the given note, the left one when it is lower, the right one when it is higher.

The chromatic tuner can determine the correspondence to any semitone of the chromatic scale - there are 12 of them in total. Therefore, it is suitable for tuning any stringed instrument: bass guitar, 12-string classical, ukulele, cello, violin, etc.

Strobe tuners, also called “pocket” tuners, are smaller versions of the first music tuners and are considered the most accurate. They determine the vibration frequency of the sound wave and compare it with the reference value of the corresponding note. They are connected to the guitar using a regular jack.

Pedal tuners are a modernized analogue of stroboscopic tuners. They operate on the same principle, but in addition to an input jack for connecting to an instrument, they have an output jack for connecting to an amplifier, processor, etc. This is very convenient because it does not require unconnecting the equipment to tune the guitar - when the tuner is turned off, the signal from the instrument goes further along the circuit. The pedal can be used for other purposes (for example, as a mute). The design of tuner pedals is designed for use on stage, they have a sturdy body, the on/off button is made in the form of a pedal, and the indication is bright and large enough for easy playing while standing. Note that many processors also have a tuner function.

Acoustic Tuners, or tuners with a built-in microphone, can actually “hear” the sound of your instrument, as if it were being tuned by ear by a professional musician. The obvious disadvantage of this type of tuner is the sensitivity of the built-in microphone to external noise, which greatly complicates the process of tuning with other musicians or in noisy places. To solve this problem, there are models that are mounted directly on the soundboard, and the sound pickup is placed inside it, but if this is not provided for in the design of the guitar itself, then installing it yourself is quite problematic. Although the technology is outdated, acoustic tuners are the most versatile because they don't require any wiring and can be used to tune almost any instrument.

Clip-on tuners or Piezo Tuners, unlike acoustic tuners, do not capture sound, but vibration emanating from the strings. They also do not require connection to the instrument and are attached to the top of the deck using a clothespin. There are models of piezo tuners that are attached to the top of the resonator hole (socket), the so-called SoundHole Tuners. The design of SoundHoleTuners allows you to leave them on when transporting the guitar in a case, but in electric guitars there is simply nowhere to attach them. Since the operating principle of piezo tuners is based on comparing the vibration frequency with a specific note, extraneous noise does not in any way affect the tuning accuracy.

Virtual tuners and online tuners allow you to tune the instrument using the microphone of your gadget and the corresponding application. Of course, this type of tuner is more than affordable, but there are many complaints about the accuracy of this setting, since the microphone, which is primarily designed for voice recognition, is not always able to accurately capture the sound.

How to tune a guitar using a guitar tuner

First, a short solfeggio lesson. As we know, there are 12 basic notes; they make up the chromatic scale. One chromatic scale forms an octave. If you look at the neck of a guitar, you will see that there are different inlays on the 12th fret compared to the 3rd, 5th or 7th fret. The two dots on the 12th fret indicate the end of an octave and the beginning of the next. The standard tuning for a 6 string guitar is E A D G B E, meaning the open strings correspond to the given notes. Reducing the length of a string by one fret corresponds to raising its sound by half a tone. Thus, if the thickest 6th string is tuned to E (E), then when it is clamped on the first fret it will give F (F), on the second - F# (F#), etc. The fifth string, tuned to A (A), when pressed on the first fret will give A# (A#), then B (B), etc. This principle underlies the correct tuning of a guitar.

After connecting the tuner to the guitar (installing it on the guitar) and turning it on, you pluck each string one by one and tighten or loosen it by turning the corresponding peg until the tuner shows an exact match of its sound to a certain note of the standard EADGBE tuning or the one you have chosen. Most modern tuners display the semitone closest to the sound of the string, knowing how much higher or lower it is in the chromatic scale of the required note, you either tighten (if you need to raise the tone) or weaken (if you lower the tone) the string. The correct tuning can be checked by pressing the string along the frets - with each fret the note should change according to the chromatic scale.

Why can't I tune my guitar using a tuner?

The most banal thing is that you got a useless tuner. If the tuner is not chromatic, it will not show you notes other than EADGBE.

The second reason is the strings. Due to oxidation of the material, old strings are not able to stretch evenly, or, conversely, do not hold the appropriate tension. Remember that new nylon strings need to be stretched, that is, tightened several times before finally tuning the guitar.

It is very sad when the guitar simply does not play, that is, the distance between the frets is incorrect and does not correspond to the scale - the length of the open string from the top to the bottom. Then you will not be able to achieve compliance with the chromatic scale.

How to choose a guitar tuner

When choosing a tuner, you should first of all focus on your instrument. As we already know, there are tuners that require a connection to the guitar via a jack to work. We are talking about a stroboscopic “pocket” tuner and a pedal tuner. Therefore, they can only be used for tuning electric and acoustic guitars. A pocket tuner is a more budget-friendly option for both home and rap. It will be quite enough points for you. But if you have already climbed onto the stage, a tuner pedal is indeed more convenient in many respects.

For acoustic guitar, there are also two types of tuners to choose from. If you choose between an acoustic tuner with a built-in microphone and a piezo clip-on tuner, we unconditionally choose the latter option. It is compact, conveniently and securely mounted on the headstock, and does not react to extraneous noise. This is an excellent option for electric guitars, since its operating principle is the most universal.

Now the market offers the widest selection of guitar tuners for every budget and every taste, so staying on the sidelines and using an old tuning fork is simply a crime. Tuning by ear is also not a panacea; all professional guitarists, regardless of their genius, still use it.

An expensive leather belt or fancy strings can wait, the tuner is a real must have for anyone who is serious about playing the guitar!