There have been many posts on tuning and there have been as many more questions on tuning. Well I very recently found out a way to check if the guitar is tuned without using any expensive instruments, so this is primarily for those new to guitar and like to keep it tuned. (And who don’t have the cash and the will to buy those pocket burning electronic tuners) The magic word is RESONANCE! The meaning and definition of this physical phenomenon can be found in any standard physics textbook. The basic method of tuning remains the same old ‘relative tuning’. The way to do it is as follows— 1) tune the E string (thickest & topmost string) according to your convenience 2) 5th fret on the same string will give how the string below i.e. A string should sound. Simultaneously play the 5th fret E string and A string (open). Tune the A string till the sound nearly match. (even I can do this so it shouldn’t be a problem to anybody) 3) Now comes in RESONANCE. Once the Sounds nearly match stop playing the A string and keep playing the 5th fret of the E string. YOU WILL NOTICE THE A STRING BEGINS TO VIBRATE EVEN WITHOUT YOU TOUCHING IT. DO NOT PANIC!! THERE IS NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF. ITS JUST ANOTHER OF THOSE WEIRD PHYSICAL PHENOMENONS BUT PRETTY HELPFUL. TIGHTEN OR LOOSEN THE A STRING TILL THIS AUTOMATIC VIBRATION REACHES ITS PEAK (this requires not your acoustic talents and simple visual observation, so its pretty easy) ALL THIS WHILE KEEP PLAYING THE 5TH FRET OF THE E STRING. ONCE THE PEAK VIBRATION IS REACHED, VOILA! YOU’RE A STRING IS TUNED PERFECTLY. The 5th fret of the A string gives the sound of the following string – D string 5th fret of D string gives the next – G string 4th string of G string gives the next – B string 5th string of B string gives you the last – E string (thinnest and lowermost) Resonance is but a way of checking if the strings are in tune, not a new method of tuning. Its not much but I hope someone will benefit from my little contribution. :rockon:
This is exactly how I learnt to check if my acoustic guitar was in tune. Don't do this very much now that I have a locking Floyd Rose guitar. Thanks very much.
