Tune with your ear!

Electronic tuners register timbre and volume as well as pitch, and in most cases cannot be relied upon. Tuning forks and other mechanical means along with using resultant tones when tuning with other players are the most reliable ways to check pitch.

Tip:

• Try using a tuning fork held up to your left ear, and then strike the fork again and hold it up to your right ear. Which pitch is correct? Most people will hear a different pitch on each side, when of course this is “impossible” since the tuning fork has a constant pitch. The difference in pitch is really a difference in timbre that is perceived as a different pitch. Most people have different thicknesses of bones in the inner ear from one side to the other, causing the difference in perceived pitch. This may explain why some people seem to be tone-deaf, or at least why some have more difficulties than others when tuning! Thanks to Tom Stevens for this tip.

Proceed to Expect an adjustment period >>