Tuner issues

[Col9]

Hi all, bought a tuner at the weekend. Its a great bit of kit. I was checking my SA-8 out and the lower register is bang on every note but the upper register is just a little sharp. Its not enough to worry about but made me wonder if there was anything that could be done IF a sax was way out.

I tried my better half's Conn Selmer Prelude ?250 tenor and every note in both upper and lower registers is absolutely spot on. Hers is a hell of a lot easier to blow as well, it seems if you just breathe down it its almost too much air. 😛

Col.

 

[Greywolf]

Hmm
Looks like I'm the first to shove in his six penn'orth here.

It really depends on how much out it is.

Intonation is a tricky beast and can vary a lot from horn to horn and within a horn and within a horn depending on ambient temperature.

Walk into a room with other musicians, tune-up, jam around for a bit and by the time you start to play seriously the instrument has changed temperature, probably warmed up after coming in from outside, and you're out of tune again and have to re-tune.

To be honest, although I have a tuner I rarely carry one with me, occasionally use someone else's, but usually tune to the keyboard or someone near me.

As you gain experience, and you get your ear in, you will find that you will automatically adjust for slight discrepancies in intonation

In fact, an all round more useful piece of kit, which will will help more with learning is, IMHO a good versatile metronome that's loud enough to hear.

 

[saxismyaxe]

"In fact, an all round more useful piece of kit, which will will help more with learning is, IMHO a good versatile metronome that's loud enough to hear"

Or better still an all in one unit that has both. 😉

 

[Col9]

Its an all in one unit that I have. I'm finding that I'm using it to tune at home, but not with others as you say. The metronome is a bit tricky to get used to.

You're right about temp I had to retune on Thursday night after about 45-50 mins. My ear is getting there I tell flat but if its sharp its more difficult to tell.

anyway thanks for the replys.
col.

 

[Rogerb]

I've been told it's important not to become too reliant on tuners, as they work your eyes telling you what your ears should be hearing 🙂

Good for 'set-up' tuning, though.