True, on a fretted instrument geared for the Equal Tempermant system, harmonic tuning isn't quite as accurate as a hardware tuner would be - its appeal lies in being very quick, very easy, and in most cases, easily accurate enough.

However, especially with fretless instruments, the Just Intonation system it does tend to (I think - running off the top of my head here) is frankly just as good, and not far from Equal Tempermant anyway. And it actually works better with wind instruments and vocals, which don't use Equal Tempermant anyway. And possibly because of harmonic tuning, classical stringed instruments often use JI tuning, rather than ET. Yes, there can be a little dissonance with instruments like piano, but a little dissonance can be a good thing.

The bottom line - try out harmonic tuning for yourself. If you're happy with the way it sounds, good. If not, stick to your tuners. *shrug*

I normally just tune up one string and harmonically tune the rest, check it with a few octaves and then I'm done.

Sometimes it's a bit off, but I take that for granted. They didn't have those super high end quality tuners back in the days of the Beatles and they also became rich, famous and well known.

so using harmonics is obviously the only way a bass gtar can be tuned apart from a tuner

ok fair enough

[QUOTE=Mailman]yeah "fingerstyle" just click the link earlier quoted[/QUOTE]

I read that and understood it before I posted. However, it doesn't 'proove' anything. He's telling us not to use harmonic tuning, whereas that article is merely explaining the small 'inaccuracies' that occur when you tune with harmonics.

"It should now be apparent that the harmonic method of tuning is inaccurate, but if you understand why, you can compensate for its inadequacies and still use it."

Also I'd like to point out that the 'major' inaccuracies occur between the G and B... on a guitar.

yea

u sure r a retard buddy

give 'im a clap every1

[QUOTE=ariayer]um u do realize tuning by any harmonics apart from the 12 fret is really innacurate

good lesson apart from the fact that u should never ever tune like that[/QUOTE]

It's a bit rich calling me a retard.

:amaze:

see aria, this is why you keep getting banned. you really need to stop harassing the bass forum people. it doesn't matter if you're right or not because you're still trolling them. calling them retards and telling them they're wrong (but not giving any explanations until about a page later) is not a very nice thing to do. if you keep it up, you're always gonna start flamewars in the bass forum regardless of how strong your argument is, because they only remember you as "that guitarist fag who can't type."

just trying to help

Yeah, before this thread gets closed... good job on the article Wintermute! Alot of people have trouble tuning without a tuner, especially those who are just starting out on bass.

i was jus trying to help sorry wide

and btw u r wrong , this is not y i get banned

i get banned for spam in the pit and only that

ever

thx for ur input anyway tho

and i apoligizes for calling ppl retards i am pretty sorry

[QUOTE=ariakkake]and i apoligizes for calling ppl retards i am pretty sorry[/QUOTE]

well theres not much i can do about it cause i really dont know if youre right about harmonic tuning or not. i just know that i have bad intonation as far as the positions of the bridge saddles are concerned, so i wouldnt tune harmonically anyway

yea im gonna try to change my ways wide

u been a real eye opener to me wide

thx bro

nice article wintermute

Nice article. I knew it all but it was all thorough. Please excuse the Aria noob..

this is a pretty good explanation of why not to use the harmonic method of tuning. [url]http://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson4/index.html#Tuning[/url]