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Instrumental – Tune Up!

InstrumentalTune Up!-

Each stringed instrument has different strings. Some are made from metal wire, some from nylon, and some are made from fibers.

Each string is tuned to a different note. For instruments to play together they must tune to the same pitch or note frequency.

In this section you will learn about the parts of instruments and the names of the notes for each string.

Begin with the guitar.1

The cello is really a big violin that is tuned with different notes and played upright.

The cello has four strings, C, G, D, A

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The violin was first made in the 1500's so the design is 500 years old. Originally the strings were made from fibers from the stomach of an animal. The wood bow is strung with tail hairs from a horse!

The violin has four strings, G, D, A, E

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When a note is played on an instrument, it makes a vibration called a pitch. Tuning notes on one instrument is easy but when you have many instruments, or an instrument with many strings such as a piano, there must be a standard tuning.

Tuning a stringed instrument requires a tool such as a tuning fork, electronic tuner, or a piano/keyboard, and the names of the notes. Play the tuned note first, and then check the string. If it's too low (flat) you tighten the string. If it's too high (sharp) you loosen the string. You keep checking by playing the tuned note first and matching the string to it.

Electronic tuners make it easier. Some tuners have a microphone, some clip onto the instrument, others plug into the guitar. The meter usually reads from low to high and you adjust the string to be in the middle.

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tuning forks

the bow

The guitar has six strings, from the lowest/largest string to the smallest/highest string we tune to E, A, D, G, B, and E.

We tune the guitar using an electronic tuner, or using a piano. You must turn the tuners to tighten or loosen the string.

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The ukulele has only four strings. It has two thin strings and two thick strings.

One way to tune the ukulele is to sing, “my dog has fleas!”

The strings areG, C, E, A

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