Anyone else find it hard to tune yr guitar as quickly between songs as youd like to, esp if checking the existing tuning or going down to Drop D,etc?

I often feel like I take too long.

i would just get a stage tuner so you can cut the volume out and let the LEDs do it for you. if you trust that kind of stuff...

when speed tuning sometimes its best to just flatten it too much and then pluck once and tune up to the pitch, then you don't waste time turning back and forth finding the pitch.

Pedals are good. I have one built into my amp thats about as quick.
Tune any part when you come out of the mix. Tune during the transition banter for example "This song is called Hot Machete. Its about a really really big knife. A big knife thats on fire."

Usually, you shouldnt retune your whole guitar during a set, so try and only tune the strings that need it to save time. G and B strings tend to be the naughtiest, so if you can''t tell by ear what is off, try these first.

Last but not least, remember that chances are 95% cant hear your bad pitch even if you are off tuning, while it is great to persue musical excellence, balence it with the dynamics of performance.

[b]I have an "Arion" HU8500 stage tuner that looks like an FX pedal and fits nicely on my pedalboard. I'd like to also add that they are very reliable. I've had mine for about 25 years. Also it is easy to see the bright LED's on a dark stage. Thumbs up to Arion.[/b]








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I use a KORG TONEWORKS rack tuner. It is always on (so I can check any time I have to!!!) but it has a MUTE footswitch to keep the audience from suffering when I have to spend any kind of quality time tuning-up.








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Tubeampfreak wrote:

I have an "Arion" HU8500 stage tuner that looks like an FX pedal and fits nicely on my pedalboard. I'd like to also add that they are very reliable. I've had mine for about 25 years. Also it is easy to see the bright LED's on a dark stage. Thumbs up to Arion.

2 thumbs up for these , i have one also and had it for years !
from the guy that sits out front on the mix though...i will have to say this....
"if you cant turn off your sound while tuning , then *&^%$%*&^&*(*&^%$#)
"no one likes to hear the guitar player tune his /her guitar all night long."
if im with one of the bands i work with al the time then i might say something like this....to the crowd....ok folks the next song is of the chineese varitiy, and its called "TU - NinG" , thank you for your waiting!








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Quote:

benitosauve-when speed tuning sometimes its best to just flatten it too much and then pluck once and tune up to the pitch, then you don't waste time turning back and forth finding the pitch.

Cheers man. Il definitely try that. I do use a pedal tuner (Boss chromatic) but I find I am indeed inclined to spend too much time tuning up and down to get the right pitch.Its so irrittating when it flashes slightly sharp and your thinking "Jeez I just want to hurry up and fire into this next song!"
Esp cos Im lead singer and guitarist!

-Col

Learn to tune while playing. One of the best things iv learnt. Even if ur in the middle of a song, or even a solo, just sit on the string your tuning and do it, if you know your notes by ear of course. Tuning while playing gets as much respect as a few seconds of solo

tuning while playing gets respect? i have seen people do and do it sometimes myself but i wouldn't say it brings respect at all. it just shows that you or your tech weren't smart enough to tune before you used the guitar

guitarfreakyman wrote:

tuning while playing gets respect? i have seen people do and do it sometimes myself but i wouldn't say it brings respect at all. it just shows that you or your tech weren't smart enough to tune before you used the guitar

um ok.. sometimes guitars just go out of tune.. and retuning it is nessesary, period. weather or not you tuned it before you started playing in the first place is irrelevant. Humidity, harshness of playing, shitty tuners, condition of guitar strings, etc are all things that can potentially knock your guitar out.

but i love the boss chromatic tuner. I used to have a habit of tuning after every song but I stopped that. I guess in some ways being a perfectionist is NOT good. that would be one of those times.

Mastering the "talking while tuning" bit is something that is quite useful during gigs... not always easy tho.

but put it this way, would your audience rather you took a moment to tune up your guitar or have you play an entire song out of key and abusing their ears?

i think its kind to tune.

I had a rack tuner, but didn't want to turn around to see it, so I got a Fender floor tuner! About half the price of most floor tuners. The LEDs are so bright, you could tune up drunk!








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LisaMBello wrote:

...but i love the boss chromatic tuner. ...

Me too... It's proven itself invaluable through the years. I lost my tuner (and a shitload of mics & cables etc.) at a first gig with a new band - the second night with the same band without my tuner was disastrous!!!! The band somehow neglected to pick me up on the way to the gig and had to send someone to pick me up. I obviously arrived late, while the band was playing their first song... my guit was still suffering from road-ware and untuned. Imagine my horror in realizing I was almost a whole note flat!!!! Almost EVERY STRING!!!! It took the most agonizing song & a half to tune up!!!!
What really annoyed me was that EVERYONE in the band new that my tuner was stolen the previous night and they didn't even stop after the first song to give me an opportunity to tune!!! SHEEEESH!!!! Talk about a trial by fire!
Managed to get myself another Boss tuner that's connected to an Ernie Ball volume pedal (that has a second output that's unaffected by the volume so it can feed the signal to a tuner)








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'87 Blk Ibanez RG550
'90 Laser Blue Ibanez RG550
'70s tobacco sunburst Fender Strat Hybrid
'70s Ibanez Roadstar II
Oscar Schmidt el/Ac.
'70s blk Ibanez Concord acoustic
Digitech GSP21Pro FX processor
LabSeries L5 100w combo

I have the fender pedal tuner. Works great. Got it for $20 too!

yup i have a korg DT10. great pedal, really hardwearing and very accurate. can jump on it and it's fine. I used to have it set up so it cut the volume when i turned it on, but now that I have a volume pedal in my rig I've set my tuner up on bypass so I can tune while playing or wind the vol pedal back and tune silently.
re the "gain respect" thing... IMO a guitarist who's playing and tweaks the pegs a little without affecting his/her playing shows that s/he knows what s/he's doing and can adjust on the fly to maintain a professional performance. cos yes guitars do occasionally go out of tune whether or not it was tuned before the set... and a guitarist who doesn't destroy the show to tune up and can take it in his or her stride and fix the problem without a fuss is infinitely better than a guitarist who takes ages tuning up.
but yes, bottom line is i guess we'd all like to tune faster...

step_hen_mc wrote:

... IMO a guitarist who's playing and tweaks the pegs a little without affecting his/her playing shows that s/he knows what s/he's doing and can adjust on the fly to maintain a professional performance...

I so agree with you!!! I've always admired players who recognize that they're out of tune (while barely out of tune) and tune back up while still playing! Indicates they have a really sharp sense of hearing as well as pitch!








_________________
Shut up and play!
'87 Blk Ibanez RG550
'90 Laser Blue Ibanez RG550
'70s tobacco sunburst Fender Strat Hybrid
'70s Ibanez Roadstar II
Oscar Schmidt el/Ac.
'70s blk Ibanez Concord acoustic
Digitech GSP21Pro FX processor
LabSeries L5 100w combo