What's your worst sounding chord when tuning?

[Monsum]

I tune open strings first, get them perfectly tuned, then I check some chords like E-major - sounds amazing, then G-major - good, some other ones and then I get to D-major and I always get frustrated...start tuning again but this time on D chord.

And a strange thing happens, individual strings are tuned correctly but the chord still doesn't sound right. More frustration. After a while I begin to play regardless of hearing tuning imperfections or not.

What are your clever methods of tuning? Which chords sound worse than others?

[robj144]

For me it's D. I guess I "sweeten" the tuning by tuning the b string just a hair flat.

[JayBee1404]

All explained here, by the Guild of American Luthiers, all about temperament - a guitar can't be perfectly in tune all over the neck ...http://www.luth.org/web_extras/ds_45.pdf

[3notes]

Originally Posted by Monsum

I tune open strings first, get them perfectly tuned, then I check some chords like E-major - sounds amazing, then G-major - good, some other ones and then I get to D-major and I always get frustrated...start tuning again but this time on D chord.

And a strange thing happens, individual strings are tuned correctly but the chord still doesn't sound right. More frustration. After a while I begin to play regardless of hearing tuning imperfections or not.

What are your clever methods of tuning? Which chords sound worse than others?

Does this happen on a particular guitar or any guitar.?? Just wondering if you have an intonation issue.

I've never experienced this. All the chords sound great and if they don't...that guitar doesn't come home with me.

I totally prefer a well balanced guitar and I've owned just one guitar that wasn't well balanced, a Taylor 214ce, so I sold it.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by 3notes

Does this happen on a particular guitar or any guitar.?? Just wondering if you have an intonation issue.

I've never experienced this. All the chords sound great and if they don't...that guitar doesn't come home with me.

I totally prefer a well balanced guitar and I've owned just one guitar that wasn't well balanced, a Taylor 214ce, so I sold it.

Have you ever checked the fretted notes that make the chord with a tuner? I almost guarantee you that all will not be right on if the open strings are perfectly in pitch. It happens on all my guitars.

It's a function of equal temperament, not the guitar.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by robj144

Have you ever checked the fretted notes that make the chord with a tuner? I almost guarantee you that all will not be right on if the open strings are perfectly in pitch. It happens on all my guitars.

You're right. Tuning a guitar is a matter of getting the best compromise. See my post above, and the linked data sheet.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

[inadu ridge]

Tune the B string to D at the 3rd fret.

[westman]

tune with harmonics

[3notes]

Originally Posted by robj144

Have you ever checked the fretted notes that make the chord with a tuner? I almost guarantee you that all will not be right on if the open strings are perfectly in pitch. It happens on all my guitars.

It's a function of equal temperament, not the guitar.

Boy am I impressed(i don't know why.)...

I just put my snark on and played every note up to the 12th fret on the Larrivee.... EVERY NOTE WAS ON.!! showing just a shimmer of sharp or flat on a handful of notes. A couple things here....

James Taylor, I think started this controversy. lol. Every note on the Larrivee was within a "cent or less." I don't know what a cent is. The guitar is well balanced, as it should be, as I prefer.

Also, getting the proper note off of the fingerboard depends very much on the amount of pressure that you "fret" that note. It is very easy to take a note from spot on, to sharp.

One last point. I don't play out. No interest in doing so. But, no audience is going to say that D note was off by a cent. Oh my gosh, no. And your bandmates won't mention it either. wink.

My overall point here is that tuning does not need to be perfect. No way. Now, if you think it's perfect, it isn't. Too many variables. However, if you tune your guitar before playing, you can play on any stage any where in the world...without worry.

By the way, I play a Larrivee. The best guitar in the world for the price. And they make it so an average person can afford it. You can't find a better guitar for the money. And that's just the way it is.....

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Monsum

Which chords sound worse than others?

You would have gotten a much more animated response back in the days before electronic tuners. Clearly, some of our ears are more sensitive to intonation than others.

For me, G major is the one I sometimes retune for.

[Steve DeRosa]

F#m13b9b5...

[ocarolan]

Use something (tuning fork, electronic tuner, piano) as a reference to tune one string only. Tune the rest from that one, but use only unisons and octaves.

Keith

[Silly Moustache]

Hi, I work mainly out of 1st position G or C shapes so I tune the otes of these,not all open strings.

e.g. - if I'm playing in G I'll tune to G on the 6th string, B on the 5th, D and G open , D on the 2nd and G on the 1st.

If I'm playing out of a 1st position E - I'll tune to that chord similarly: E on 6th, B on 5th, E on 5th, G# on 3rd. B and E on 2nd and 1st open.

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by Monsum

I tune open strings first, get them perfectly tuned, then I check some chords like E-major - sounds amazing, then G-major - good, some other ones and then I get to D-major and I always get frustrated...start tuning again but this time on D chord.



And a strange thing happens, individual strings are tuned correctly but the chord still doesn't sound right. More frustration. After a while I begin to play regardless of hearing tuning imperfections or not.



What are your clever methods of tuning? Which chords sound worse than others?

Tune E and A chords without the thirds.

I can’t remember where I learned this, but it always helps me whenever the electronic tuner doesn’t end up sounding right:

I get a reference for the E and A notes, and I proceed by 1) fingering an open E chord with an added pinky on the fourth fret of the G string and 2) fingering an open A chord with an added pinky fretting the 5th frets of the B and E strings.

I adjust the string tunings until both positions sound good. Then the other chords and keys, the open G and D, etc., fall right into place.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by robj144

For me it's D. I guess I "sweeten" the tuning by tuning the b string just a hair flat.

I do the same thing. Sometimes you have to put the tuner down and cross tune between the strings as well.