I agree with Neil that, when tuning strings of a hg pure to each other in a
noisy environment, an electronic tuner (build in or used with a contact
microphon) can be a great help and may give better results than tuning by
ear beause of the noise. That works if you have learned the properties of
your tuner by tuning by ear and see what your tuner does. I know that I get
a pure fifth with my simple tuner exactly at the point where it doubts
between pure( green led) or too high (right red led).
For tuning the tangents I need my ears, a quiet environment and no tuner,
but a programmable tuner could be helpful. At present I know only one brand
for a programmable tuner: Peterson (StroboFlip); it seems that Korg has
discontinued making such things, although they make a tuner with a choice of
some temperaments, including natural harmonic temperament, and in my opinion
that is the only thing you need for a hg. Best and cheapest idea seems to be
using tuning software on the computer.
Forget Kirnberger, Valotti, mean tone temperament and other baroque tunings:
they have been conceived for harmony, for changing chords and changing
tonalities, not for drone music. They make as little sense for a hg as
equal temperament.
And yes, Neil, you are almost right: this natural harmonic tuning makes
things worse, or even terrible, with different drones, generally. But it
works (almost) perfectly if only two drones a fifth or a fourth apart are
used, for instance only G and c or only G and d. Details and explanations
can be found in my article on tuning the tangents:
http://www.orfeo-fiato.nl/hurdy_gurdy_tuning.html
Tuning your hg in something like natural harmonic temperament may conflict
or not with other players/singers. If you are really playing drone music,
there should not be a conflict. But, for instance, playing with a melodion
or a guitar, the conflicts are already intrinsic to the combination of a
drone and a harmony instrument; so, why not give it a try in such a case as
well?
Ernic
----------------
2007/12/10, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
> Hi all
>
> I feel the need to defend the onboard ( or any other type) electronic
> tuner.
>
> Its main function of course is to give a visual confirmation that your
> open
> string is in tune -very useful anytime but particularly in a session.
>
> Having this indication at the flick of a switch is far more convenient
> than
> fumbling around with hand held units or having to repeatedly attach the
> clip
> on type.
>
> The onboard tuner will usually take its signal direct from a transducer in
> the instrument so it gets a much purer signal.
>
> Getting both chanterelles in perfect unison is also more simple done
> visually , particularly if there are other drone instruments tuning up at
> the time.
>
> The other point is that many accompanying instruments - all the fretted
> instruments, keyboards and melodeons for instance - are normally tuned in
> equal temperament and if you routinely play with these instruments, your
> carefully set up intonation is just a bit out.
>
> I suppose it all comes down to what you want to play on the hurdy-gurdy.
> General playing for fun with other musicians would seem to suit equal
> temperament and the purists have every right to embrace any tuning
> standard
> that they choose.
>
> IMHO, life's too short to agonise over the finer points of Kirnberger II
> and Valotti ( no offence Simon ). It takes immense skill to give every
> note
> exactly the same pressure and unless this is achieved, the notes are
> always
> going to vary in pitch by a tiny amount each time they are played.
>
> The Wittman tuner I use to build in has indicators for sharp and flat of
> equal temperament, these flash at an increasing rate as the pitch differs
> from equal. The rate of flashing is an indicator of the degree of shift.
> Four flashes per second, for instance indicates a ten cent deviation so
> it's
> not hard to work out where you need to be.
>
> Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems to me that if the tangents are set to
> play in D, surely larger errors will be apparent when you change to
> playing
> in G, Am etc.
>
> Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year
>
> Neil
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Simon Wascher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 10:12 AM
> Subject: Re: [HG] Building Questions: onboard tuners
>
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > Am 05.12.2007 um 23:18 schrieb John Tappan:
> >> Three, a number of instruments are being built with onboard electronic
> >> tuners. It works nicely on my guitar, I'd think that with some 46 or
> so
> >> tangents, it could be a big help in getting set up.
> >
> > there are two purposes for the onboard tuner. First is to find and
> > control the pich of the open string, really helpful.
> > Second is to tune the tangents. To tune the the tangent pitches
> well you
> > will need a tuner that is capable of at least one or the other non
> > equally tempered scales, like Kirnberger II, Valotti, ... or one that
> > allows to reprogram its scale to the needed.
> >
> > Most small tuners that you might find nice to build in support modern
> > standard equal temperament pitches only. If you find a
> small reprogamable
> > one, please let me know...
> >
> > Simon
> >
> >
> > ---
> > have a look at:
> > http://hurdygurdywiki.wiki-site.com
> > http://drehleierwiki.wiki-site.com
> > ---
> > my site:
> > http://simonwascher.info
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database:
> > 269.16.17/1178 - Release Date: 08/12/2007 11:59
> >
> >
>
