[linux-audio-user] in tune - stupid thread

John Check j4strngs at bitless.net
Tue Dec 21 02:19:35 EST 2004


On Sunday 19 December 2004 11:15 pm, Russell Hanaghan wrote:
> Lee Revell wrote:
> >On Sun, 2004-12-19 at 23:29 +0200, John Anderson wrote:
> >>On Sun, 2004-12-19 at 18:55, Russell Hanaghan wrote:
> >>>Fact is, it is impossible to tune an acoustic guitar
> >>>"perfectly"...Invariably, when you have it tuned so an open G chord
> >>>sounds spot on, an open A or even C will be a tad off. And the same
> >>>applies to the inverse of course.  This all due to a general lack of
> >>>adjustment for intonation on acoustic axes.
> >>
> >>Actually, even guitars with adjustable bridge saddles won't be perfectly
> >>in tune with themselves, except for octaves, 4ths and fifths which are
> >>close enough that one can't really hear the difference. This is because
> >>the frets are in the wrong place in relation to the overtone series
> >>(pl). This applies to any instrument that has fixed notes (piano springs
> >>to mind), and which use the 12-tone equal temperament tuning.
> >>
> >>It's a long story, so I won't go into detail. Google for Just Intonation
> >>if you want to know more. It sheds a different light on various
> >>questions like, where *is* that confounded blue note? Why do major
> >>chords sound crap on overdrive? What's the deal with barbershop and
> >>string quartets? Why is D minor the saddest key? If I tune the B string
> >>by ear to the G string, why is it out of tune with the E string?
> >
> >I think this is called "well tempered tuning".
> >
> >Lee
>
> I got a few axes that make me lose my temper when I try to tune
> them...is that the same thing?? :)

That's ill tempered tuning



More information about the Linux-audio-user mailing list