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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Tuners 3
Tuners 3
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snowman
616 posts
Sep 21, 2020
12:43 PM
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hi
Still trying to figure how I want to re-tune some of my harps that are mainly used in blues.
Question; Does 441hertz mean 444 cents?
440 waves a second and 444 waves a second?
So: If I set my tuner to 443hz, am I then tuning 12 cents sharp from 440?
Also I have a Peterson tuner, I use to set up my guitars.
If I want Draw 5 to be -29 at 440----can i set hz to 440 then use cents button and subtract -29 and then tune?
Then when dial stops wavering, hole 5 draw should be -29 at 440 hz?
This was just an example Im gonna go with a compromise
Thanks
Last Edited by snowman on Sep 21, 2020 12:44 PM
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dougharps
2179 posts
Sep 21, 2020
2:38 PM
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I wasn't sure if my understanding was correct, so I looked it up.
The reference pitch to which you set your tuner is the 440, 442, 443 Hz. These days instruments are usually referenced to 440Hz, but as previously noted, harps can sound flat if tuned to 440Hz, so 442 or 443 are often used as the reference pitch.
When you go to tune the pitch for each reed you may choose to use some number of cents higher or lower that the pitch from the charts showing intonations in order to make smoother chords, as discussed in other threads.
Each cent above or below the standard pitch of that note in equal intonation equals 1/100th of a semi-tone. I looked that up here:
Cents?
So a cent is based on a semitone, and the Hertz in a semitone vary depending on the octave and note you start on.
CentsHz?
Don't get all caught up in the math! Just realize that the Hz/cents ration changes depending on the note and octave. The tuner keeps track of that...
Here is Andrew Zajak on the topic:
CentsHz?per Zajak
Andrew Zajak apparently uses the reference pitch setting on the tuner to offset pitches on specific notes by 4 cents per Hz USING THE Hz setting on THE TUNER.
Others leave the reference pitch set the same and read the cents on the tuner when adjusting reed pitches.
Different tuners may be easier to read cents than others. Andrew doesn't depend on having a tuner that easily displays cents.
It is your choice. If your tuner is like the one Andrew shows, you might want to try his approach. With a better tuner, I personally think it is easier just to read the cents and use the chart when tuning.
EDIT: Please remember that I am not a tech, just a guy who fixes his own harps when there is something not right...
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Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Sep 21, 2020 2:54 PM
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SuperBee
6818 posts
Sep 21, 2020
4:25 PM
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The reason Andrew does that is because he says those kinds of tuners are pretty accurate at reading when you are bang on the pitch but much less accurate in showing you how far away you are. I've used that method quite a lot and results are generally acceptable for most people. Might get a bit wonky on really high pitched or low pitched harps
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snowman
617 posts
Sep 22, 2020
10:13 AM
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Perfect --- thanks u guys----thanks for not loosing patience----
In the last couple days, on n off -----I've learned the "in in's and outs" of my peterson tuner----this will help on setting up my guitars as well
Gonna test on an extra Gm's Gonna do 1 like "crossover" compromise tuning----i like my crossovers ----------May try one at 7 limit modifying the 5 hole, so its not so drastic.
At any rate Im learning stuff and that motivates me
Thanks very much---u guys r very helpful
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