while tuning . A pedal makes that super easy .
2 . Use your tuner often . Before every rehearsal and church service is not enough . If I add or change a capo position I need to retune . After a more dynamically intense song I ’ ll need to retune . If I stopped playing for the sermon and I ’ m back for the closing song , I ’ ll need to check my tuning . And its best practice to always tune each string up ( from being flat ) to be in tune and not down ( from being sharp ).
3 . Make sure your instrument is set up properly . I would recommend getting this done professionally by a local , well-respected guitar workshop . Most guitar stores have one or know one . A poorly set up guitar or bass might have strings that are in tune when they are played open but are more and more out of tune the further up the neck they are played . Maybe the action is too high , the neck is twisted or curved , the intonation at the bridge could be off . An instrument with these issues will never be in tune across its full register .
4 . Use a stand for your instrument when you ’ re not playing . Take care as you pick it up and put it down . Don ’ t lean your instrument against a wall or lie it on the ground . The smallest of bumps on a machine head ( aka tuning peg ) can knock the instrument way out of tune . Even a gentle knock can throw your tuning out and you may not notice .
5 . Keep your strings fresh . Change them as often as you need to . How often is that ? In depends on a lot of different factors : how much you play , how you play , the gauge and type of strings you use , and more . About once per month for me on my acoustic guitar . Bassist will not need to change strings as often as guitarists , but old , worn strings can become untunable .
6 . When you restring your instrument , make sure you ’ re doing it properly . Winding the string well is essential . A poor string wind at the machine head can cause tuning issues . Whenever I restring a guitar or bass , I put some soft lead pencil into the empty notches of the nut . That graphite can help the strings move smoothly through the nut when I ’ m tuning and help make each tune last longer .
7 . Be aware that how you play can alter the tuning . Unintentionally bending strings or squeezing the neck too hard can change the pitch in ugly and unintentional ways . How you pluck , pick , or strum the strings can have a negative effect too . If you ’ re playing too hard , you can force strings out of tune .
8 . Musical instruments - especially acoustic instruments - are adversely affected by temperature and humidity . Keep your guitar away from extremes of heat , cold , humidity or dryness . Don ’ t leave it in your car for any longer than you need to ever , but especially on hot or cold days . You might ruin your instrument . It ’ ll never be properly in tune again .
9 . Above all , listen . Don ’ t just hear . Really listen to the sound of your instrument - how each string is resonating with the others - and how the sound of your instrument is resonating with the other instruments around you . Learn to know when the tuning is great and when it ’ s not .
In my role as More Than Music Mentor providing coaching workshops for worshipping musicians - I often have the opportunity to listen to bands play and sing together in a rehearsal / workshop setting . I then offer suggestions to help improve their sound - reducing as much Sonic Soup as possible . Improving their tuning is almost always involved . I am often dismayed at how little priority is being given to tuning .
At a recent Sunday morning , pre-service runthrough , I could immediately tell that the bass guitar was not in tune . It seemed like I was the only one who noticed ! Every time the A string was used , I could hear that wobbly dissonance as the bass notes rubbed uncomfortably against the notes of the other instruments in the band . Not too badly out of tune , but it was enough to create a big dollop of Sonic Soup - that messiness that makes it tougher for the congregation to sing .
I instructed the band to stop playing and asked the bassist if he had checked his tuning . His reply ? “ Yep !” “ When was that ?” I inquired . “ Before rehearsal last Thursday !”
And he said it with the sort of self-assured air that showed that he thought this was a good answer .
Nothing at all against the bassist personally . I ’ m super happy that he ’ s willing to play bass for his church band . But he has not yet learned to listen well enough to know that he was out of tune . Nor does he know the importance of tuning frequently . He actually owned a tuner , but it was in his gig bag with dead batteries .
But how could he ? He doesn ’ t know what he doesn ’ t know . He ’ s unconsciously incompetent in this area of musicality . He will need the MD , or someone else in the ensemble with a good ear , to help him . If he doesn ’ t get that help , we ’ re sentencing ourselves to a sonically soupy future .
I guess my question , “ Have you checked your tuning ?” was loaded . I perhaps should just have said , “ Would you please tune up ,” or , “ I think you ’ re out of tune . Would you check that please ?” Or something more direct . As Musical Director ( MD ) that ’ s part of my role .
Our congregation is much more likely to feel warmly invited to sing our songs as an expression of worship to God if our sound is free from Sonic Soup . Well-tuned instruments can reduce the soup . Let ’ s make that a priority .
Grant Norsworthy founder of MoreThanMusicMentor . com