Tune Your Violin Efficiently

TUNE  YOUR VIOLIN EFFICIENTLY    by Jane Elizabeth Landstra                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                    Dancing  Bow Studio, Poulsbo WA            

                    Island Music Guild, Bainbridge Is.WA

      Is there a way to tune up violin strings effectively and quickly if you don’t have a ‘factory tuned instrument’?  Yes!   The method is easy and a good habit to form for beginners and all who struggle with tuning. The order of tuning your strings is the key. Simply focusing is the next important factor.

      First have your pitch--YOUR best mode of receiving information, visual or aural, or both!

      Tune your   ‘ A ‘ string  first: really look and /or listen for it to be the same as the tone you hear.  Your second string goes first because it is least likely to change tone with the tuning of your other strings due its size, rather than the thinner ‘E’ which many try to start with.  Scooping up from below the note is also helpful for hearing when it settles in to the pitch you’re trying to match.  You may need to ask yourself, “Is it the same?” to focus on the tone matching.

      Next, tune your ‘D’ string using the above techniques.  Compare your newly tuned strings using the simple “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” opening four notes for good pitch: ‘D-D, then   ‘A- A’   and you should hear nicely tuned interval in the song most of us know.

      Tune your ‘G’ sting next. The “Twinkle Test” uses ‘G-G’   first then the ‘D’s.

      Your ‘E’ string is LAST, following the above procedure.  “Twinkle”  the  ‘A’s and ‘E’s,  and away you go!  Happy tuneful playing!