Tuning Instructions

General Idea:

What to look for on the Tuner:

• If the needle stays towards the right, your note is sharp, or too high. Make your instrument longer or the string looser, so your note will sound lower. Keep adjusting until the needle of the tuner stays in the middle.
• If the needle stays towards the left, your note is flat, or too low. Make your instrument shorter or string tighter, so your note will sound higher. Keep adjusting until the needle of the tuner stays in the middle.

The goal is to get the needle of the tuner to stay in the middle. Play "freeze the needle" - see how long you can make the needle stay in the middle of the tuner. In order to keep the needle in the middle, you need to use steady, even air or bow movement, for a steady, even, in tune sound.

Band Instruments:

The longer the pipe, the lower (flatter) the pitch.

The shorter the pipe, the higher (sharper) the pitch.

For each instrument (except oboe, bassoon, and percussion - except timpani), you will move something on the instrument to make it longer or shorter, depending on what the tuner says. We will cover timpani soon!

Mallet instruments such as bells, xylophones, and vibraphones are often pitched to A 442. However, for our purposes, we will tune to A 440. Make sure that your tuners are calibrated to 440.

Initial tuning notes are listed below for each instrument.

Play your instrument's initial tuning note into the tuner. If you are in class or other noisy place, plug the pic up cord into the tuner, and clip it to the bell of your instrument.

Flute - A above staff (play F G A Bb slurred, then go to A and tune)

Oboe - A in staff

Bassoon - Bb in staff

Clarinet - open G (adjust barrel); 3rd space C (adjust bell)

Bass Clarinet - Open G

Saxophone - top line F# (play low G, C above that, high G, all slurred, then go to F# and tune)

Trumpet - 3rd space C, 2nd line G

French horn - middle C (if trigger, 3rd space C)

Trombone/Baritone/Euphonium/Tuba - Bb above concert F (play F first for reference)

Adjusting each Instrument:

Flute - move the headjoint in or out to make the flute longer or shorter

Clarinet - for open G, move the barrel of the clarinet up or down, then for third space C, adjust the bell

Bass Clarinet - loosen the neck screw, and move the neck of the instrument up or down to make the instrument longer or shorter, tighten neck screw when the neck is in the right position

Saxophone - move the mouthpiece up or down on the cork to make the instrument longer or shorter

Brass - move the tuning slide(s) in or out to make the tubing of the instrument longer or shorter

Bassoon/Oboe - put reed all the way onto instrument or bocal, then loosen lips to sound lower and tighten lips to sound higher

String Instruments

The looser the string, the lower (flatter) the pitch.

The tighter the string, the higher (sharper) the pitch.

For each instrument you will move something on the instrument to make it looser or tighter, depending on what the tuner says. Over tightening will cause strings to break or snap, a little bit of movement will go a LONG way.

Strings:

Violin, viola, and cello students should not adjust their tuning pegs in the peg box until they have been told to do so by Ms. van Ginkel.

Violin: G, D, A, E - Use FINE tuners only

Viola and Cello: C, G, D, A - Use FINE tuners only

String Bass: E, A, D, G

Guitar: E, A, D, G, B, E