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This page: Tuning In, Preparing, Intonation, Is It Perfect?, Working Around Imperfection, Rewards
“Anytime you change string gauges, adjust your truss rod, or change the action (height) of the strings, you'll need to tweak intonation.”
Tuning In
If you know how to use a screwdriver and have a moderate level of patience, you can solve -- or at least improve -- most intonation problems at home. To proceed, you'll need new strings and a tuner. New strings are absolutely necessary because finger jam and peanut butter encrusts old strings. An old string is never equally dense or elastic along its length, and this will undermine any attempt to achieve perfect intonation. A high-quality tuner is necessary for the kind of precision we're after.
Preparing Your Guitar
In guitar parlance, "fixing the intonation" means adjusting the bridge saddles so that the fingered 12th fret is perfectly in tune with the 12th-fret harmonic. Anytime you change string gauges, adjust your truss rod, or change the action (height) of the strings, you'll need to tweak intonation. Seasonal temperature and humidity changes can also affect guitar intonation.
Put on new strings, taking care to remove any slack at the tuning pegs. You can do this by carefully pulling the string up (away from the frets) along the length of the fingerboard. Use a steady, firm pull -- and be careful not to break the string. The stretching exercise is complete when performing the "pull" no longer causes the string to change pitch. If your guitar has a locking tuning system, you probably can skip this step.
Next, adjust the saddles so that the action is at the desired height. If you're changing gauges, give the guitar time to settle (ideally overnight, a few hours in a pinch).
Checking and Fixing the Intonation
Test intonation by playing a 12th-fret harmonic, then fingering the note at the 12th fret. The pitch should match. |
Plug into your tuner. Strike the 12th fret harmonic. Adjust the tuning peg until the harmonic is perfectly in tune. If you have to tune down, remember to go further than you need to, and then tune up to the proper pitch.
Being careful not to bend the string, play the 12th fret. If the 12th fret is also perfectly in tune, then the string is set.
If the 12th fret is sharper than the harmonic, the string is too short. Adjust the saddle so that it moves away from the neck. On most bridges, this is a clockwise turn of the screw.
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If the 12th fret is flatter than the harmonic, the string is too long. Adjust the saddle so that it moves towards the neck. On most bridges, this is a counter-clockwise turn of the screw.
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You may find that you need to make a string longer than the saddle will permit. On Les Paul-style guitars (and some others), you can remove the metal saddle and turn it around to make the string longer.
A more detailed textual description can be found on Harmony Central at http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/intonation-faq.txt
Is It Perfect?
The 12th fret and the 12th fret harmonics are in tune with each other, but is your guitar perfectly intonated? Use your tuner to test fretted notes over the whole fingerboard. Do you find that all those notes fall within the one-cent window?
If not, you may need more extensive adjustments to truss-rod, neck angle, and nut height, all best left to expert hands. In the meantime, you'll need to learn some workarounds to get through your session.
Working Around Imperfection
Recording can amplify any tuning imperfections in your guitar, and one of the classic studio time-wasters is the guitarist fighting to get in tune for a complete song. Many pros take advantage of modern recording techniques (such as punching-in and digital editing) by recording their parts in sections, slightly adjusting the tuning for each.
If you face a situation where a riff spans notes that are "mutually un-tunable," tune the most important notes and let the others slide. Important notes are those that sustain and are meant to be consonant with the rest of the music. Notes that can slide are those that pass quickly or are meant to be dissonant. Also, don't discount your own technique when it comes to playing in tune. A heavy touch or poor finger-position can cause some notes to go out of tune. Conversely, careful and subtle bending and vibrato (even on chords) can combat tuning problems. Like anything else, it requires practice -- so practice playing in tune. Both your ears and your fingers will benefit.
Rewards
If you take the time to record all your guitars, basses, analog keyboards, and so on with precise tuning, your recordings will improve considerably. Sure, it's more time and trouble to set the saddles, to tune for riffs, and to punch in for different sections, but if you're keen on strengthening every link in the recording chain, then this is one you won't want to overlook.
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| Contents |
Introduction
Tuning In, Preparing, Intonation, Is It Perfect?, Working Around Imperfection, Rewards
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