Re: [Harp-L] tuner

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

Because the pitches of reeds  (especially the low ones) vary  (inversely) so 
much with breath pressure, it seems to me that spending a lot of money on an 
electronic tuner is pointless.  For this reason, I posit that a $20 Korg 
CA-30 chromatic tuner is entirely adequate for a harmonica.  Pianos and 
organs may be different.  When I tune with a meter, I always have to ask 
myself, "Am I using the same breath pressure with which I play?"

The CA-30 turns off after 20 minutes of idleness, produces output reference 
tones, and has a 1/4" audio input jack.  It has a liquid-crystal display 
calibrated in cents that simulates a meter as well as sharp/flat lights.  It 
is about the size of a cell phone.

I had a Boss meter for my guitar but it didn't hear the highest notes on the 
harp.  Take a harp with you when you buy your tuner and make sure that it 
hears the full range up to D7.

Have someone else who can't see a meter try to blow consistently accurate A 
= 440 tones while you watch the needle.  Then trade with them. If you do 
well, it will be because you have a good ear for pitch,  However, if you do 
have a good ear for pitch, that is another reason that you don't need an 
expensive tuner.

Pick up a harp that sounds "in tune" when you play it and have someone else 
write down the pitches of all of the notes from a tuner you can't see.  You 
will be surprised at the variation.  IF you have an exceptional ear, then 
all you need is a tuning fork.

I previously tuned my guitar with a tuning fork.  That works fine if 
everything is quiet but the electronic tuner works a lot better when other 
instruments are noodling in the background.

Vern
Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Payne" <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Harp L Harp L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 7:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] tuner


> Tim Moyer <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I can't imagine trying to tune very much using a $30 tuner. In that
> case, I would probably use the tuner to set a reference reed and tune
> the rest of the harp relative to the reference rather than to the
> tuner.
>
> -tim
>
>
>
>  Yes, Tim's right, that's really the only way to do it very well. Use the 
> tuner for reference pitch at 1 blow, etc., then tune the rest of the harp 
> by ear from that. I've got a friend who tunes harmonicas for a living at a 
> harp factory, he says for tuning his stuff at home, he uises a Petersen 
> strobe tuner sometimes, but it is not as accurate a tuner as his ear. Most 
> of us will probably never get to that point, my ear is not as accurate, 
> but there is some potential there if you're willing to train the ear.
>  All that said, it would be easier to buy a strobe tuner.
>
>
>  Dave
>  _________________________________
> Dave Payne Sr.
>  Elk River Harmonicas
>  www.elkriverharmonicas.com
>
>
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