Interval training isn’t just for athletes—it can help you tune your guitar better, especially when you’re tuning by ear using reference notes. A well-tuned guitar is really important for any musician, especially if you’re just starting out. Before we get into how to tune, let’s talk about how interval training can improve your musical ear and tuning skills.
So, what exactly is interval training? In music, interval training is all about practicing how to recognize different musical intervals, which are the distances between two notes. For guitar players, being able to notice these intervals helps you tune your guitar by ear.
Interval training is super helpful because it improves your listening skills. When you practice recognizing intervals, you get better at hearing differences in pitch. This is key when tuning by ear because you want to match the pitch of your guitar strings to a reference note, like another string or a tuning fork.
When you tune your guitar by ear, you usually start with a reference note. This could be the low E string (the 6th string), which you can tune using a tuning fork or another instrument. You can also get the A note by playing the 5th fret on the 6th string. Here's how interval training fits in:
Tuning the low E string: Make sure the E string is tuned to an E note. This is your starting point.
Use intervals for the other strings: Now, use your interval training to tune the rest of the strings:
As you tune, notice how you’re using the intervals between notes to get it right. While this method is common, interval training helps you check if the pitches truly match.
To get better at recognizing intervals, practice identifying different types of intervals. Here are some you might want to focus on:
Here are some fun exercises you can try:
Play with a Drone: Play one note (like a low E) while tuning the other strings. This gives you a steady sound to help hear the intervals better.
Singing Intervals: Sing a note and then sing the interval above it. For example, sing an A note, then sing E, which is a perfect fifth above A. This helps you connect what you hear with what you sing.
Instrumental Practice: Play a string on your guitar, then try to find the interval between that note and another random note. This helps you recognize pitches better.
When you keep comparing notes and working on intervals, you start to understand how tuning works. This knowledge goes beyond just making your guitar sound good; it’s about understanding how different notes relate.
Harmonics: Try playing harmonics on your guitar. This can help you learn how the strings relate to each other when tuning.
Listening for Beats: When two notes are played close together, you might hear a ‘beating’ sound. This can help you make tiny adjustments to your tuning and fine-tune your ear.
As you get better at interval training, you might want to use some tools to help sharpen your skills:
Interval Apps: There are many apps that help train your ear for intervals with examples and quizzes.
Metronome: Use a metronome set to a slow beat. Play different intervals in time with the metronome. Each time it clicks, change the note. This helps with playing while focusing on your ear training.
Check with Friends: Play with other musicians, and tune your instruments by ear together. This helps you hear things from different perspectives.
Interval training isn’t just extra exercises; it really helps you tune your guitar better. The listening skills you build let you:
In short, being able to tune your guitar by ear is part of a bigger skill set that helps you understand music better. By practicing interval training, what used to be tricky can become simple and natural. So, the next time you pick up your guitar, remember that listening is just as important as the physical practice. Tune in, pay attention, and let the music lead you!
Interval training isn’t just for athletes—it can help you tune your guitar better, especially when you’re tuning by ear using reference notes. A well-tuned guitar is really important for any musician, especially if you’re just starting out. Before we get into how to tune, let’s talk about how interval training can improve your musical ear and tuning skills.
So, what exactly is interval training? In music, interval training is all about practicing how to recognize different musical intervals, which are the distances between two notes. For guitar players, being able to notice these intervals helps you tune your guitar by ear.
Interval training is super helpful because it improves your listening skills. When you practice recognizing intervals, you get better at hearing differences in pitch. This is key when tuning by ear because you want to match the pitch of your guitar strings to a reference note, like another string or a tuning fork.
When you tune your guitar by ear, you usually start with a reference note. This could be the low E string (the 6th string), which you can tune using a tuning fork or another instrument. You can also get the A note by playing the 5th fret on the 6th string. Here's how interval training fits in:
Tuning the low E string: Make sure the E string is tuned to an E note. This is your starting point.
Use intervals for the other strings: Now, use your interval training to tune the rest of the strings:
As you tune, notice how you’re using the intervals between notes to get it right. While this method is common, interval training helps you check if the pitches truly match.
To get better at recognizing intervals, practice identifying different types of intervals. Here are some you might want to focus on:
Here are some fun exercises you can try:
Play with a Drone: Play one note (like a low E) while tuning the other strings. This gives you a steady sound to help hear the intervals better.
Singing Intervals: Sing a note and then sing the interval above it. For example, sing an A note, then sing E, which is a perfect fifth above A. This helps you connect what you hear with what you sing.
Instrumental Practice: Play a string on your guitar, then try to find the interval between that note and another random note. This helps you recognize pitches better.
When you keep comparing notes and working on intervals, you start to understand how tuning works. This knowledge goes beyond just making your guitar sound good; it’s about understanding how different notes relate.
Harmonics: Try playing harmonics on your guitar. This can help you learn how the strings relate to each other when tuning.
Listening for Beats: When two notes are played close together, you might hear a ‘beating’ sound. This can help you make tiny adjustments to your tuning and fine-tune your ear.
As you get better at interval training, you might want to use some tools to help sharpen your skills:
Interval Apps: There are many apps that help train your ear for intervals with examples and quizzes.
Metronome: Use a metronome set to a slow beat. Play different intervals in time with the metronome. Each time it clicks, change the note. This helps with playing while focusing on your ear training.
Check with Friends: Play with other musicians, and tune your instruments by ear together. This helps you hear things from different perspectives.
Interval training isn’t just extra exercises; it really helps you tune your guitar better. The listening skills you build let you:
In short, being able to tune your guitar by ear is part of a bigger skill set that helps you understand music better. By practicing interval training, what used to be tricky can become simple and natural. So, the next time you pick up your guitar, remember that listening is just as important as the physical practice. Tune in, pay attention, and let the music lead you!