What did we do in the old days?

There’s a humorous line of shirts that I’ve seen which feature the phrase “tune it or die!” written over a skull and crossbones. It makes you chuckle, but it’s funny because it’s true…there’s nothing worse than trying to play in a jam session with other pickers whose instruments are out of tune.

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I often think back to my early days of playing the banjo, and I wonder how we ever got along when it came time to tune up? I started in the mid 80′s, and about that time there had been electronic tuners available for awhile already, although they were a bit pricey. Some of us just stuck with the old fashioned pitch pipe or tuning fork. Can you imagine that? Having to tune your instrument by ear? That’s what they did in the 70′s and prior. Scary. Fortunately, many variations in tuners began appearing on the market about the time I got started, and the prices became fairly reasonable.

If you are a new picker, you should invest in a tuner

The Intellitouch PT1

One of the best ways to get a bad reputation and be excluded from the jam session scene is to try and join jam sessions without having a good handle on how to tune your instrument. It is very unpleasant to try and pick with someone whose instrument is out of tune. This article that you are reading focuses mainly on the tuners themselves, but I have a lesson focusing on tuning tips for stringed instrument players posted at my main website. Simply click this link: tuning lesson to get some pointers on how to tune once you’ve bought a tuner.

I’ve noticed in the Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio market, that one brand of tuner seems to reign supreme, and for good reason. The brand is Intellitouch, and Intellitouch makes some great products that suit us acoustic pickers well. The price you pay for the features that you get is a great value.

This may seem like one big Intellitouch commercial, and I guess that it is really, because for my money I haven’t found a better tuner. Now right away some of you reading this may be jumping up and down, yelling at your computer screens, saying “what about Brand X you moron?!?!” The thing to keep in mind is that your choice of tuner is a very personal one; what one person likes, another person may hate. So if you already have an established favorite, great! This article isn’t really for you. However, if you are starting at the beginning and need something to begin forming an opinion with, you won’t go wrong trying Intellitouch. If you start with Intellitouch, you can then try others over the years to see if you develop a brand preference.

Choose vibration style tuners, not microphone style

The great thing about the Intellitouch line (and others; Intellitouch didn’t invent this) is that all of their tuners rely on feeling the vibration of your instrument to determine the pitch of the string. This is really important for attending social picking parties and jam sessions, or even tuning on the stage mid-song while the other band members are still playing. Instead of the tuner having to listen to your instrument through a microphone…and then picking up every other insrument in the room…the Intellitouch line of tuners simply feels the vibrations through the wood of your instrument to tell what pitch the string is at, allowing you to tune in a noisy environment. Try the microphone style sometime; you’ll hate it if there’s much noise around. You’ll love the vibration style.

The Intellitouch IMT500

The basic idea behind the tuner is that you clip it to the headstock of your instrument, strike the string, and watch the display. A letter will pop up showing you what pitch the string is currently at, and a needle will appear that helps you to fine-tune the string, bringing it exactly to pitch. Some models have a back-lit display so that you can tune in the dark (essential for picking at night around a campfire) and some models come with a carrying case.

Here is a partial list of features that you get with the tuners:

• Attaches to your instrument with one had
• Back lit display (on most models but not all. I recommend this feature!)
• Fully automatic and chromatic
• Tunes in a noisy environment because it feels the pitch
• The tuners can be calibrated to different pitches
• Some models have a “learn mode” which allow you to set the tuner to match other sources, like an out-of-tune piano for instance
• Extremely light weight; around 2 oz.
• Some come with a carrying case

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Get a tuner, learn how to use it

You owe it to yourself…and others!…to buy some sort of tuning source, and get proficient at using it! Everyone around you will thank you. If you have further questions, you can always contact me. I’m glad to help in any way I can. So grab a tuner, learn how to use it, and then pick ‘em if ya got ‘em!

Banjo Paul
“Wunse, I coodn’t even spel bango pikker…now I are one!”
www.banjosrule.com (main site)
www.mybanjolife.com (blog)
Click here: Ultimate Metronome