h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I just tried a bit of that. Odd, and it keeps wanting to resolve to C min. Hmmm.

Yah, keep the dialling tone stuff out...

In the old days it used to work.

SAUSAGE

Now that you've decided to keep it out, I've ascertained that my dial tone (California) is an F, if somewhat sharp according to my tuner.

Shame it's slightly out - we could have had an international dialling tone F major. If we could have found a C somewhere.

Oh yeah, a belated Happy Birthday.

forgive me for this, but this entry doesn't include the simplest and most accurate way to tune a guitar

which is use an electronic tuner.

I know it spoils the fun of it, but when gigging, its much easier than finding a bloke with a perfectly tuned piano (or a keyboardist who can figure out how to connect up and not keep fiddling witht he sounds), and using the same one will guarantte that all instuments are in tune with each other

Fair point but, if someone's got a tuner thry probably know how to tune a guitar! This entry is aimed at the folks who, for the first time, find themselves with a guitar in their hands and want to play something. I know that someone in that position isn't very likely to be looking at HooToo but, well, you know...

have a guitar in their hands, with no idea of what the frets mean, with the skill to hit relative tuning dead on ?

I think it would be worth while mentioning an electronic tuner (which normally comes with starter guitar packs) in the alternative methods.

Or re-title to: "How to tune a guitar - without electronics"

Or put a phrase in the beginning in the lines of:

"The easiest way to tune a guitar is using electronic tunersELectronic tuners are nifty little devices that.... However, this is not always possible, and, obviously, not at all challenging..."

What do you think?

SAUSAGE

I think there is no harm mentioning electronic tuners.

electronic tuners are a pricy thing, though, if you're just pickig up any ol' guitar that you found lying around. But I'm glad to see they got a mention. I love mine (my dad bought it, bless his )

nice entry, Roymondo.

I've changed the title (which is a shame - it was snappier before!) and re written the first paragraph.

it was, but that's life with The Guide.

Thank you for the birthday wishes, Roymondo!

My musical ear is hideous, so I always use a tuner to tune my violin and viola, unless I've got four pitches from a piano to tune to.

(Sorry, I can't offer anything more helpful than that. Nice entry.)

EMR - I'm sure your musical ear isn't hideous.

I've tidied a couple of bits up and can't see much else it needs, but am happy to be proved wrong.

Just to add to the confusion, I sometimes tune my guitar using 'pitch pipes'.

I'm about to start an entry about other tuning doohickies but will have to research it! I thought about sticking a summary in this one but that would miss the point of the entry (short & to the point).

Good point.

*points*

Look a Golden Retriever!

I used to have pitch pipes, but it turned out they were out of tune

I have pitch pipes but I don't use them as I have to confess it looks rather silly to pull them out. Vocalists use them quite a bit, though, as I understand it.

This entry's merged with A9347466 at A9407630