Tips on Keeping a Guitar in Tune

The Importance of Using a Tuner: Finding Your Perfect Pitch

Music is a beautiful language, but like any language, it relies on clear communication. Just like people speaking the same language can do so with different accents to their voice so too can musicians play the same note but with slight changes in the way it sounds. The pitch may be a bit high or a bit low, and over the centuries musicians have come up with ways to analyze these differences so that multiple musicians can better "play in tune." Just as proper grammar and pronunciation are essential for understanding spoken words, playing in tune is paramount for creating harmonious music. This is where the tuner comes in. For the beginner (or even the more advanced musician) it can be a vital tool for developing accuracy of pitch.

Low Cost MusicTechnology Options For The Music Education Classroom

Finding ways to stretch your budget in a music classroom is always important and even more so when trying to purchase high tech electronics, software, and other materials. This article provides an updated list of dozens of different low cost or free alternatives to expensive music education products. It includes such categories as music notation software, drill design software, special needs hardware, and many more.

The Star Spangled Banner- Free Sheet Music For Band Inst.

This document contains sheet music for all common instruments to play The Star Spangled Banner, also known as the sheet music to the National Anthem of the United States of America. You can view the sheet music online or download the individual parts arranged for all common concert band instruments. If you do not see your instrument listed please scroll to the bottom of the page and try one of the the other instruments. Most musicians will be able to find at least one instrumental part that matches their range and preferred key signature. If you are seeking a simple piano version of the song please select from the voice, trumpet, or alto saxophone versions.

Using Plickers as an Assessment Tool in the Music Education Classroom

Music, band, choir, and orchestra classrooms can be huge and assessing the knowledge and retention of individual students in such a large class can be daunting. Plickers are one of several solutions that can be adapted to work in large groups, making the act of assessing a student’s understanding a little easier and a whole lot faster.

Is Marching Band A Sport? Pros, Cons, and a Reality Check

In recent years the question of whether or not marching band is a sport has been brought up time and time again for various reasons and by various groups. On one side you have the YES crowd who says that marching band is competitive, physically demanding, and every bit as much a team event as any traditional sporting event. On the other side of the coin are those who say no, that marching band is NOT a sport and it is a musical pursuit that happens to involve coordinated movements. Both sides are right, but to make a final decision we need to look deeper into the facts. Read on to find out what they are!

Portable Digital Audio Recorder Buying Guide With Reviews

Scroll down to view the comparison chart of over a dozen different portable digital audio recorders.

Buying a portable digital audio recorder is a major decision. The balance between price, features, and quality is a fine line that has many different options to choose from. There are dozens of different models of portable digital audio recorders, some of which have drastically different sets of features yet sell for roughly the same price. This easy to read head to head comparison chart and guide to many of the more popular portable digital audio recorders is intended to help potential buyers more easily see these differences and make an educated buying decision.

Apps and More for the Choral Classroom

The number of apps, software, and gadgets available for use in the music classroom continues to grow each year but finding things that can actually be beneficial to your classes grows more and more difficult as well. We spoke with Dr. Christopher Russell, Director of Choirs at Oltman Middle School in St. Paul Park, Minnesota to get his must-have list of apps.

alt Over the years I have found that many young, or inexperienced, students will have trouble keeping their guitars in tune. While many of these students are excelling in their lessons, even the most beautifully played chord or lick will sound bad if the instrument is out of tune, or has bad intonation. Below are five tips that every guitarist should know in order to ensure that their instrument stays in tune and holds its intonation.

Tune the guitar everyday even if you donâ€™t play it.

Tune before and after a practice session, jam or performance. We all tune up before we play, but most of us don't tune after we're done. This will help keep the guitar in tune between playing sessions.

Stretch the strings after changing them. This can be done by pressing down on the string with your thumb, while at the same time pushing up on the string a few inches lower with your fingers. Slide your hand up and down the string while stretching in order to cover the whole string.

Always tune â€œupâ€ to a pitch. If one of the strings is sharp, tune it below the pitch you are aiming for, and then adjust it up into the right pitch.

Change your strings regularly even if you don't play that often. Strings stretch over time, which causes them to become flat and lose their intonation. By changing strings every 6 to 8 weeks, you will avoid sounding out of tune in both the open position, and up the neck.

If you are following these tips and find that your guitar is still going out of tune, or that your intonation is not right, you may need to have your guitar setup. This can be done by any local music store or luthier, and normally costs around $30-$35. When bringing your guitar in for a setup it is good to know exactly what you need done. Instead of saying â€œI need a setupâ€, you might want to say, I need my intonation checked and the neck adjusted so it stays in tune. This will insure that the repairman knows exactly what is wrong with your guitar and can make the proper adjustments to get you back playing in no time.

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