The minute that you take your violin out of its case, you need to know how to tune a violin. This can be done in a few simple steps but how you choose to do it is completely up to you. Tuning up your violin correctly will mean that the music will sound correct and that you can play with someone else accompanying you or as a part of an ensemble.
If you are struggling with how to tune a violin, you could always take it to a shop and have someone tune it for you. However, this can be extremely expensive and is a waste of money when there are ways that you can easily do it yourself.
Step One: You can do all the tuning yourself through the use of a piano. You will need to be able to tell the difference between sharp and flat and will need to be able to hear the slightly wrong note. Even being half a note off will sound wrong when you come to play the instrument and it is important that you do not suffer from that. To tune, you will need to adjust the wooden pegs on your violin carefully.
Step Two: If you do not have the best ear when it comes to sound, you could opt to buy a pitcher. This is great because it also means that you can tune your instrument wherever you are and you can use it on any instrument that you have – not just the violin. You can do all of your tuning quickly and accurately because the device will tell you whether your sound is too sharp or flat by showing certain colored lights on the device.
When you come to using the pegs, you need to be careful that you do not cause the strings to snap. This is very common, especially with the A and E strings. If you are tuning with your teacher, it is a possibility that she will have a spare string that you can use but you should always ensure that you carry your own strings with you.
Finding out how to tune a violin should not take you long – it all depends on which method you opt for. The better you get at hearing the notes, the better you will get at manually tuning your instrument and hearing the sounds yourself. However, it is generally the best idea to start out with a pitcher.