Electronic Harp Tuner

[william-weber]

If I were looking for the best possible piano tuning meter I’d go with the Veritune. The Accu-Tuner produces a tuning from a mere three samples by making assumptions that are only valid in a fine instrument of large scale, whereas the Veritune measures the frequencies of all partials. of all strings while the tuning is in progress.

[leonard-lim]

I just bought the iStroboSoft on my iphone.

[Christian Frederick]

…. that’s exactly correct. It picks up the overtones because any acoustic instrument is not “perfect”, meaning the overtones do not line up. If you tune it “perfect” with a tuner, the harp will sound dull as the overtones don’t line up. Thanks for bringing up this example why the harp should not be tuned totally with a tuner that is not “tempered” or “stretched” for that particular instrument…

[kathy-chanik]

“shouldn’t use a tuner not stretched for

[Christian Frederick]

….. this just happens to be something that is my demon. At a WHC conference, I walked out of the Salzedo harp concert because the harps were so out of tune, and out of tune with each other….

I always tune my upper octaves a little sharp by ear, and the lower octaves a little flat.

I don’t believe in hell, so you’re not going to burn 🙂 ….. you play harp, so you’re going to heaven….

[william-weber]

A more exact measure for stretching an octave might be to tune the upper string to the harmonic of the lower string,

[kathy-chanik]

But, William-if you tune to the harmonic of the lower note, then the octave won’t be stretched at all, will it?

[Sam Karlinski]

Kathy,

I believe William’s point is that by using the octave harmonic (which is the most important overtone) you’ll be compensating slightly because you’ll be able to line up the overtones of the higher string with those of the lower string, if I’m right.

I could be wrong though – this is not my field of expertise.

~Sam

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

If I use the harmonics to tune octaves, they are tuned pretty normally. I am getting great results with my Korg ca-20 with a clip-on pick-up. The only string it doesn’t get is the 7th octave C. But I mostly use the Orchestral Tuner, though the batteries don’t last as long. I don’t go more than 5 cents sharp or flat at the top and bottom. The harp sounds quite sweet tuned exactly, actually, like ice cream, and if I flatten the bass it sounds more like sour cream. I happen to love sour cream, but the tones are more focused on pitch.

My question is, does the order of tuning help the tuner hear better? Should I go in a circle of fifths in each octave, or tune one pitch in octaves? Going by scale is definitely the slowest.

[Christian Frederick]

” the octave harmonic (which is the most important overtone) “

…. this statement sums up everything. My ears hear the octave harmonics more than anything else on a harp.

Also, Kathy, I think saying this may make sense, that tuning the lower string slightly flat in relation to the octave overtone created with the string an octave above the string you are tuning.

OK… it’s my day off and I’m looking forward to memorizing some new music….. y’all have a great day….

[barbara-brundage]

Just updating this: for anyone who has an iphone/ipod touch, I just got an email from Peterson that the iStrobosoft app is on special for .99 right now.

[tony-morosco]

Thanks. Although I already have a tuner app I like for 99 cents I’m happy to add another. You can never have too many tuners.

[Christian Frederick]

… just an update that I’ve discovered the iTick metronome app for my iPhone… for free! Wow, the world is changing quickly…

[David Ice]

I have Cleartune on my android phone, and it works great.

My question:

[Amber M]

Korg CA-40 is fine with the pickup.

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