How To Tune a Violin
You are the proud new owner of a violin, congratulations! Now if you could just get it to sound like a violin you'd be good to go.
Whether you are a violinist yourself, a parent of a beginner, or a music teacher, it is necessary that you know how to tune a violin!
I have never seen or heard of a stringed instrument that could stay perfectly in tune forever. At some point in time, usually sooner rather then later, the strings slip and slide out of tune until you sound more like a ukulele than a violin.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER.....
To make the string’s pitch higher, turn the A & E pegs and all fine tuners clockwise. (D & G Pegs are opposite)To make the string’s pitch lower, turn the A & E pegs and all fine tuners counterclockwise. (D & G Pegs are opposite)
The Best Digital Violin Tuner
There are many great digital violin tuners on the market, the one we like the most is the Korg TM-40 Large Display Digital metronome and tuner. It is SUPER AFFORDABLE in the world of digital tuners. Prices typically run between $30.00-$50.00..
Plus you get all the features of a more expensive metronome tuner. It has a sound out and a sound in speaker. This means that it detects your sound and will tell you if you are too high or too low when you are tuning. It also has a sound out meaning the pitch will be loud enough for you to hear and tune to as well as use in your practicing as a drone pitch to improve intonation!
How to Tune a Violin Using a Piano
Need a violin tuner? If you have a piano at home, and the piano is in tune, this can be a very convenient and easy method of tuning.
Tuning with a piano, takes me back to my own childhood and our antique cherry-stained piano. I sat at our family's piano bench tuning my violin and practicing many, many hours.
Play each piano key starting with the A, D, G and E; in that order.
After playing each piano key, play the matching string on the violin. Listen carefully as you tune your violin to match the piano correctly.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER.....
The benefits of using the piano as a tuner
Using the piano as a violin tuner allows you to practice or perform with that piano perfectly in tune. If you already own a piano then it is very cost efficient...free. Using the piano as a tuner strengthens your 'musical ear'. Electronic tuners often have a gauge that tells you if you are in tune or not. There is no gauge on the piano, so YOU have to listen and decide whether or not you are in tune.
Drawbacks to using a piano as a tuner
If you do not own a piano then you cannot use this method at home. Pianos are not portable. Pianos are not always in tune. If your piano has not been tuned in a long time, it is not a very reliable tuner.
Violin Tuning: Tips that will help you and your violin to survive.
Violin tuning, much like learning to use the bow, is a skill that must be taught, practiced, and mastered. Understand why your violin goes out of tune, and how to avoid major mishap when tuning. Here's some tips to help make your tuning experience more enjoyable.
A majority of the time when a violin is out of tune, the strings have loosened and the pitch is too low. So, if you don't know whether it's too high or too low, start by assuming it's too low and tune up. If that doesn't fix it, tune down.
If you keep your violin in extreme temperatures (I DO NOT recommend this) then your violin will always be out of tune.
If you drop your violin or knock it against something (even if it is in your case) it will probably be out of tune. So, think twice before throwing it on top of your bed when you get home from school.
If your violin is extremely out of tune or you are putting new strings on, be careful not to loosen or take off all of your strings at once. While tuning, keep the tension distributed equally between all four strings so that the bridge does not come off.
If the violin is WAY out of tune, use the tuning pegs first and the fine tuners last. The tuning pegs will change the pitch drastically, so get the pitch close with them and make the last tiny adjustments with the fine tuners.
Strings will break if you tune your violin too tight, especially if they haven' t been used for a while or if they are already unraveling.
So, next time you have a major tuning crisis, remember these violin tuning tips, and your online violin teacher that is always here to help.
