OT:Tuning a guitar using and Equal Temperament method

[A440A@aol.com]

  orchman@comcast.net writes:

<< I'd be interested to hear if anyone uses a similar technique or finds  
this to be useful. >>

Greetings, 
  This is the method I use. It has proven virtually infallible.

       For the ET six string guitar, all fourths are tuned
 wide and the major third more so.  You have
four fourths and one maj 3rd on a guitar.   
        In order to tune a slightly wide fourth, I use a test note and 
compare the speed of the
beating that results.
 
      1)  To tune the D-G fourth,  play the open D string and the Bb below it
on the A string, then compare to the Bb- G. (This is a simple M3-6th test)  
The 6th should beat  barely faster than the Bb-D major third.  
      2) Tune the A string to the D  (use the 2nd fret F on the low 
E string, same test with the beats ).  
     3)  Then tune your low E string to the A.  since you don't have a test
note below, just  bring the E up until you hear no beating at all but no 
more.  Then
compare the low E string to the 2nd fret B on the A string above,  this
should be very close to a perfect fifth: if it beats, you probably have the E 
string up too much.  Compare it to the second fret E on the D string,  if 
this is not a clean octave, slightly move the E string up
or down and listen again. 
      4) After the four lower strings are tuned, you should be able to play
the G-B third on the open strings and tune the B so that the G-B third is 
pleasant,usually close to 5 or 6 b.p.s. 
       5) Then tune the E string to the B by use of the open G string as a
test note.  This fourth is high enough that many guitars require a slight
beating.  Remember, the slower the 4th, the faster the third.  You must 
decide how fast the B-E fourth is to be allowed to get.  A slightly noisey fourth 
can really make the third sound good, but you have to know your keys to fudge 
it with any degree of control. 
       6) Compare the high E string to the middle E, and then finally check 
that
the B string is a clear octave with the second fret B on the A string. 

     When you have the guitar tuned this way as a starting point, it will 
play the same in all the keys, and it is very easy to slightly move the B string 
if you want to improve one key over others.  Having the G-E sixth controlled 
allows the B to sound nicely with both the  G and the E.  The real trick  is to 
get a solid base on the four large strings, and then determine how the B 
string is to divide the G-E . Martins and Gibsons both need different amounts of 
tempering on the B, so there is no set number to aim for.  
     I prefer to let the higher fourths to beat slightly faster than the 
lower ones. 
Regards, 
       


Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html