Importance of Tuning

[kdodson]

All over the forum people are talking about gear and technique. One thing I don't see a lot of is people stressing the importance of tuning. Maybe is just so common it gets overlooked. When it comes down to it, having the guitars and bass perfectly "in tune" without intonation issues is really important to achieving a great sound. Of course there are other factors such as arrangement and musicianship to name a couple, but the fact still remains a guitar and bass "set up" properly and one good tuner which you use for every stringed instrument being tracked for the song are very basic elements of the process that are sometimes foreshadowed by a new plug-in or deadlines. That doesn't mean something that's out of tune wont be just what the song needs, but that's what it comes down to... what's right for the song, the performance, and for the creativity.

-Kacey

 

[Metaltastic]

Thanks for the sermon as your first post, but yes, we are very much aware

For an extreme example: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/production-tips/550738-so-you-want-tight-mix.html

 

[Notuern]

All over the forum people are talking about gear and technique. One thing I don't see a lot of is people stressing the importance of tuning. Maybe is just so common it gets overlooked. When it comes down to it, having the guitars and bass perfectly "in tune" without intonation issues is really important to achieving a great sound. Of course there are other factors such as arrangement and musicianship to name a couple, but the fact still remains a guitar and bass "set up" properly and one good tuner which you use for every stringed instrument being tracked for the song are very basic elements of the process that are sometimes foreshadowed by a new plug-in or deadlines. That doesn't mean something that's out of tune wont be just what the song needs, but that's what it comes down to... what's right for the song, the performance, and for the creativity.

-Kacey

We have talked about this several times on this forum.
In fact, i have posted several ways to tune the guitars depending on what key you are playing in.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

don't be that hard lads..at least he didn't start a thread about Joey

welcome to the forum, we're not the assholes we seem to be...well sometimes we are

 

[abt]

I had no idea, no wonder I sound like shit.

 

[abt]

don't be that hard lads..at least he didn't start a thread about Joey

welcome to the forum, we're not the assholes we seem to be...well sometimes we are

...something about glasshouses and throwing stones!

 

[vaiman]

I had no idea, no wonder I sound like shit.

 

[[UEAK]Clowd]

In fact, i have posted several ways to tune the guitars depending on what key you are playing in.

that sounds interesting??

 

[Notuern]

that sounds interesting??

Basically, what you do is tune the most important chords for the key the song is going in.
For example, if you where to play in A minor, you tune your A-minor, D-major and G-major.

Example of how to tune:

E - Pure
A - Pure(440hz)
D - 2nd fret pure(E octave.)
G - 2nd fret pure(A octave.)
B - 3rd fret pure against open D(Will not be pure.)
E - 4th fret pure against open G(Will not be pure.)

The reasons to do this is because, without having a true temperament guitar neck, your guitars frets wont be pure(Because it was based on the fact that the strings where identical, the frets and neck dead straight etc.).
So what this tuning/temperation "compensation" does is makes the A pure.
The reason you have to tune the B and high E to the open D and G is because you have tuned the 2nd fret positions, making the open string slightly out of tune instead.. so if you where to tune the B and E's 3rd and 4th fret to a tuner, it would not sound in tune with the D and G strings.

You can do the same with any key, using the same idea.

 

[abt]

that sounds interesting??

Read this:
http://www.endino.com/archive/tuningnightmares.html

 

[jval]

i hate tuning
it's the bane of my existence

 

[JayB]

Yep- tuning blows, but gotta do it between every take.

 

[abt]

i hate tuning
it's the bane of my existence

+900

 

[TravisW]

I never bothered with tuning. I just tighten up the strings as far as they will go without breaking and call it good.

 

[amarshism]

Always get guitar players to have their axes set up before coming into track. Too many stupid gtr players coming with a new set of strings thinking that's 'set up' and getting sent home because their instrument is improperly intonated.

 

[jval]

i always check the intonation and setup myself when bands come in. it's almost always off regardless of whether they took it somewhere beforehand or not... so don't ever trust that it's good.
here's another tip... changing strings often helps a lot. I usually make them switch every 2 songs (with one average song taking anywhere from 4-8 hours to track). After that the tuning starts to slip really easily and things get even more annoying... so change as often as you can. Just get ready for the "I'm broke" speech...

 

[Executioner213]

First fuckin Sepultura album is out-of-tune. Shit is heavy as hell!






I'm just being an asshole, but yeah...they didn't re-tune between takes. Just picked up the guitar and went. At the end of the day, left the guitar in a stand...picked it up and started again the next day without retuning.

 

[Metaltastic]

That may be, but surely you won't argue it wouldn't have only been improved by them focusing more on the tuning? Unless it interrupted them while they were on a roll, but it's not like it's an overly lengthy process

FWIW though, I usually just tune the open strings with a tuner, and then fine-tune by ear for each riff (depending on what position and/or key it's in), though I may give Jay/Notuern's suggestion a try, it'd be nice to take some of the guesswork out of it!

And jval, I'm surprised every two songs is your general rule; not like I disagree with you, but I know some people (Lasse ) go for a set per song, which seems a tad overkill

 

[muckypup1]

I don't tune between each track I record, I know this will let it go slightly out of tune, but I think it adds to the sound, slight differences and shit. But I'm not playing tight tech death metal if I was, then I would be tuning between everything!

 

[Machinated]

useful post - I think its something that gets overlooked, and it really is one of the most painful parts of a recording process. So annoying when guitarists are bending certain notes in a chord out of tune.