Guitar tuning question???

**2bornot2bop** · 01-17-2013, 02:13 PM

okay, in the interest of the only stupid question is the one not asked...and the fact I'm a guitar newb

all my guitar's are tuned to 'E'...aka standard tuning DA? da, is russian for yes....I often mix languages, don't mind me.

So, each time I go to youtube 10 times out of 10 I'm not in tune with any guitar there. So y'day I tuned my acoustic down from E to Eb and voila, I'm in tune....Sooooooooo...what's the reason for this??? why am I not in tune with any video on youtube with standard guitar tuning?

anyone else experienced this? thx in advance!

**ColinO** · 01-17-2013, 02:48 PM

Are you using an electric tuner? a tuning fork?

**oldane** · 01-17-2013, 02:49 PM

The video on YouTube is not in tune?

**ColinO** · 01-17-2013, 02:51 PM

By way of testing, there are youtube post that play notes for tuning. If they say they're in E and you still have to play an Eb to match, then maybe the problem is at their end...

**dinot** · 01-17-2013, 02:59 PM

Do you have your tuner set in 440 or higher?

**jckoto3** · 01-17-2013, 03:01 PM

It's not uncommon for a guitarist to merely tune the guitar to itself rather than to an external reference pitch if they're not going to be playing with another instrumentalist. In other words, whatever the actual pitch of the low E string, the rest of the guitar gets tuned to that...

Also, tuning each string a semitone flat is extremely common i.e. Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb

I think initially the reason for this was because it made the relatively heavy strings easier to bend, but now with lighter and better quality strings, it's just a thing people do.

**mr. beaumont** · 01-17-2013, 03:05 PM

Yeah, I wonder if your tuner is calibrated at something other than 440....

I know I'm not tuned down in any of my recent videos...try one out--are you in or out with me? I'm playing lots of open strings and stuff in this one...do they match up?

Otherwise, you must me listening to a lot of Stevie Ray Vaughanabees.

**2bornot2bop** · 01-17-2013, 03:09 PM

I have two tuning sources. First, a Korg electric tuner, and the second a high end Yamaha digital keyboard, which has perfect pitch and is always in tune.

this has been an issue with any video...if my guitar is tuned to E I'm out of tune with any video. So, it's common to tune to Eb? kewl, instantly in tune....glad I asked! thx!!!

So, the bigger question is, why am I the only one to experience this? you mean to tell me you're all tuned to E but aren't experience an issue with being out of tune with any video on you tube?

**2bornot2bop** · 01-17-2013, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Yeah, I wonder if your tuner is calibrated at something other than 440....

I know I'm not tuned down in any of my recent videos...try one out--are you in or out with me? I'm playing lots of open strings and stuff in this one...do they match up?

Otherwise, you must me listening to a lot of Stevie Ray Vaughanabees.

wow, really!

i'm in tune with your video, but only since I've tuned down a 1/2 step to Eb.

something else odd, there is a slight delay in the video and the soundtrack...the audio precedes the video by a second

love that video...you need to post more stuff like that!

**mr. beaumont** · 01-17-2013, 03:22 PM

Oh! Something's up with your machine, I think.

**2bornot2bop** · 01-17-2013, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Yeah, I wonder if your tuner is calibrated at something other than 440....

Aargh!

it was calibrated to 457!

now I'm in tune at E. thanks Jeff!

do you skype lessons?

**mr. beaumont** · 01-17-2013, 03:28 PM

I'm not set up for Skype lessons yet, maybe by summer. Need a better webcam and a few other things--like more time! But July and August are a teacher's playground...

**2bornot2bop** · 01-17-2013, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by dinot

Do you have your tuner set in 440 or higher?

you nailed it. 457...the on-off button is near the calibration buttons so apparently i've been throwing it out of calibration trying to hit the off switch...thanks for the assist! glad i asked!

**mr. beaumont** · 01-17-2013, 03:41 PM

Aha! It's usually something simple like that.

I knocked the calibration off on my tuner right before a gig once...I still remember my first chord that night...

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 01-17-2013, 03:55 PM

Speaking of tuning, has everyone seen this video from the CES?

**edh** · 01-17-2013, 09:18 PM

Next you'll have the guitar playing itself.

Who needs a guitarist.

**Patrick2** · 01-17-2013, 09:42 PM

[QUOTE=mr. beaumont;286700]Aha! It's usually something simple like that.

I knocked the calibration off on my tuner right before a gig once...I still remember my first chord that night...

Been through one of those nightmares myself. Only, it wasn't my guitar. We were playing a relatively small club one night during a storm. There was a brief power outage. When the power came back on, it wasn't at full capacity. Evidently, the power company had cut it back. Our keyboard player's Hammond B3 dropped a half step across both decks of the entire keyboard and the draw bars were totally wacked out. That was one of the only nights Tony didn't bring his Fender Rhodes 88. (said the band stand was just too small). You wanna talk about scary first chords??? Tony, (the keyboard player) quickly figured out what happend and said . . . "let's play . . I'll transpose on the fly". To all of our surprises . . . he was cutting it pretty well. (we thought for sure he'd blow the line in Sir Duke that he had to play in unison with the horns . . but he cut it perfectly) Then, about midway through our 3rd song . . . the power was resumed at full strength. OUCH!!!!! It was pretty easy to to over hear the . . . . "these guys really suck" . . . comments from some of the people sitting closest to the bandstand.

Regarding YouTube . . I do remember (somewhat hazy and cloudy) reading on one of these forums that You Tube, or some other inter net vids often did play back a 1/2 step down. Am I confusing that with something else??

**Vladan** · 01-17-2013, 09:55 PM

I remember being in a 1/2 step nightmare once, but do not remember how it resolved. One moment I was playing in tune with backing. On the next turn I was 1/2 step out. I think I just went to sleep and let it settle on it's own.

**Patrick2** · 01-17-2013, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Vladan

I remember being in a 1/2 step nightmare once, but do not remember how it resolved. One moment I was playing in tune with backing. On the next turn I was 1/2 step out. I think I just went to sleep and let it settle on it's own.

Well . . . you clearly need to be a bit more cognizant of the amount and the quality of schnopps you consume before bed time. That cheaper stuff will definitely give you some nightmares. It really does affect your thinking while you're awake too.

I have a friend who's searching desperately for a place to live. He was drinking some of that cheap shit and his wife wanted to get intimate. He said to her .. "my penis just doesn'y want to cooperate". She winced and said to him . . . "why don't you go to the drug store and get some of those pills that might help you get an erection?" So, he went down to the pharmacy, came back and handed her a bottle of diet pills. He needs a place to sleep now.

Another guy was dringing that sneaky Pete stuff . . . and he forgot all about his anniversary. His wife was really pissed!! She said to him . . . "when I wake up I'd better find something outside the garage that will go from 0 to 200 in 2 seconds!!" So, the guy went out and bought her a scale. He's thinking of rooming with the guy with the diet pills.

**Jabberwocky** · 01-17-2013, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick2

Well . . . you clearly need to be a bit more cognizant of the amount and the quality of schnopps you consume before bed time. That cheaper stuff will definitely give you some nightmares. It really does affect your thinking while you're awake too.

I have a friend who's searching desperately for a place to live. He was drinking some of that cheap shit and his wife wanted to get intimate. He said to her .. "my penis just doesn'y want to cooperate". She winced and said to him . . . "why don't you go to the drug store and get some of those pills that might help you get an erection?" So, he went down to the pharmacy, came back and handed her a bottle of diet pills. He needs a place to sleep now.

Another guy was dringing that sneaky Pete stuff . . . and he forgot all about his anniversary. His wife was really pissed!! She said to him . . . "when I wake up I'd better find something outside the garage that will go from 0 to 200 in 2 seconds!!" So, the guy went out and bought her a scale. He's thinking of rooming with the guy with the diet pills.

I am in stitches! I can't stop laughing! Tell me it ain't true.

These are really good, Patrick. I am a single guy but I can imagine it happening to some of my married guy friends. Women, huh. Can't live with them. Can't live without them. I'll stick to cuddling my guitars.

**Vladan** · 01-18-2013, 05:42 AM

Originally Posted by Patrick2

Well . . . you clearly need to be a bit more cognizant of the amount and the quality of schnopps you consume before bed time. That cheaper stuff will definitely give you some nightmares. It really does affect your thinking while you're awake too.

I have a friend who's searching desperately for a place to live. He was drinking some of that cheap shit and his wife wanted to get intimate. He said to her .. "my penis just doesn'y want to cooperate". She winced and said to him . . . "why don't you go to the drug store and get some of those pills that might help you get an erection?" So, he went down to the pharmacy, came back and handed her a bottle of diet pills. He needs a place to sleep now.

Another guy was dringing that sneaky Pete stuff . . . and he forgot all about his anniversary. His wife was really pissed!! She said to him . . . "when I wake up I'd better find something outside the garage that will go from 0 to 200 in 2 seconds!!" So, the guy went out and bought her a scale. He's thinking of rooming with the guy with the diet pills.

I was just about to write this answer last night, when wife called me to bed. I remained settled.

**hot ford coupe** · 01-18-2013, 12:07 PM

There was a third guy who was looking for a room. His wife told him she wanted a breast enlargement so she'd be sexier for him. He asked how much it would cost and she told him 5 large. He said "save your money. Why don't you use toilet paper?" She said "toilet paper? What good will that do?" He said "It will get your breasts larger. Look what it did to your ass." He's been out of the house for 3 months now.

**2bornot2bop** · 01-19-2013, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

There was a third guy who was looking for a room. His wife told him she wanted a breast enlargement so she'd be sexier for him. He asked how much it would cost and she told him 5 large. He said "save your money. Why don't you use toilet paper?" She said "toilet paper? What good will that do?" He said "It will get your breasts larger. Look what it did to your ass." He's been out of the house for 3 months now.

That was so funny. And it'd be funnier still if it weren't for the fact that at one time in my life I was that guy who paid $5k for a wife's request for implants. Only of course to be called every name in the book the moment meds wore off and that pair took on a life of their own. She went on to say "I got these for you you ungrateful &@!;/&$!!! Of course that was all just a down payment. It would be barely another year before those became another man's pair. Or problem, which is my preferred way of thinking.

**jorgemg1984** · 01-19-2013, 09:01 AM

Just listen to several clips of the same song in youtube and you'll hear them in different keys, sometimes not even that close. I don't know why that happens but it does... and plenty of records are in weird tunings like 432 or 445. And lots of rock bands tune in Eb too. So one must be careful with all this stuff!

It's quite common when people are starting in jazz to neglect this things and the guitar being in 440 and the piano in 443... it sounds really bad! Most pianos I find these days are 442 or higher, no idea why.