![]() Easy to read, rechargeable, programmable with many useful temperaments pre-loaded, and dependable regardless of register, this tuner also does serious double duty as a metronome. The stand alone tuner I use is Peterson’s StroboPLUS HDC tuner. ![]() And while more expensive than other clip-on tuners (like Snark), Peterson’s clip-on has a selection of useful temperaments, and it doesn’t struggle as much as others with register extremes. In normal early music settings, this tuner has no issues. I’ve found it particularly dependable in loud settings where many tuners fall short - whether that’s tuning with a modern orchestra, or while playing with an amplified band. The StroboClip HD tuner lives on my tailpiece and gives me a clear and easy-to-read display I can see on any stage. Past the app, I use a clip-on tuner and a stand alone hardware tuner from Peterson Strobe Tuners. I also like that it is programmable, meaning I can add custom temperaments to it with ease. I’ll get back to why I think having an accurate display is important later. Add to that its virtual strobe tuner display (my favorite) I can tell how far away I am from “in tune” quite easily. With several types of visual displays to choose from I find it easier to read than Cleartune or other apps, mainly because PitchLab can tell me how many cents off I am from accurate pitch. The features that make it particularly useful to me are its legibility, its flexibility, and its consistency. The app I use is called PitchLab Pro, and while it seems to disappear from app stores from time to time, it has been my consistent choice for several years. These days I tend to stick with three tuners in my daily practice, performing, and teaching: a smartphone app, a clip-on tuner, and a dedicated hardware tuner that lives on my music stand. ![]() Over the years I’ve used many types and brands of tuner with varying degrees of success. Whether you select a dedicated hardware tuner (a device that only tunes) or a tuning app for your smartphone, make sure the tuner is easy for you to read (some displays are tiny, some are confusing, some are just unclear), that it dependably picks up tones regardless of register (often cheaper tuners struggle with extremes of register, particularly low tones), and that it is consistent. These days there’s a large variety of hardware and app-based tuners that are quite good and very affordable, so the tuner you select should be chosen more on ease of use and reliability than anything else. Tuning by ear is a process that must be learned, practiced and perfected. Whether you are an amateur just beginning to play or a professional with many years under your belt, a tuner will make your life easier. While I have strong opinions about these issues, I’ll save those for another time.įirst off, get a tuner. ![]() I’m avoiding deeper topics like temperaments, tuning frets, or the merits of any tuning system over any other. I’m only focusing on getting the open strings of the viol in tune with a tuner, and training yourself to tune “by ear” with the help of a tuner. To start, let's clarify what I am addressing versus what I am not. Fortunately, a little strategy and organization can remove most of the frustration. Gut strings are infamously fickle, pegs can be sticky or loose depending on the weather, too much tuning can pull our bridge out of shape – not to mention how physically exhausting the whole affair can be! For something we do every time we play, tuning is one of the trickier aspects of playing the viol. Tuning a viola da gamba can be a daunting task.
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