There are recurring discussions about problems tuning guitars.
There will prolly continue to be similar discussions following this thread.

This is not a discussion of the self-tuning "Powertune" Les Paul, the Feiten or other compensation systems or even the "True Temperament"systems offered by Paul Guy (as seen in this recent thread)
http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads...ent#Post2115454

It is an offering concerning some recent experiments I've made that have totally changed my approach to guitar tuning.
It's a bit long but bear with me, I think it'll be worth it.

Common Knowledge Section
There are any number of ways that guitarists use to tune but generally they involve matching a reference pitch & extrapolating from that.
Particular methods involve unison tuning of adjacent strings, matching harmonics to open strings or matching each string to another instrument or tuner.
Harmonics are one very common method because it's physically practical by not requiring a finger on a string & also, I think, because many think of the harmonic as a more "pure" tone. Also it's historically the common method for tuning many stringed instruments, esp. piano.
No matter which method or combination used, they generally end by running through some series of chords, with adjustments to "sweeten" the result so it works in various keys.

Problems
There are technicalities that make that blending/sweeting process necessary: the small but real adjustments of equal temperament, the divergence between open & fretted strings, inconsistencies along the length of the string (due to wear or other factors) & other things even down to how hard one strikes the string or tension changes as strings are adjusted.

The physics of sound itself presents problems.
Everyone's perception varies, especially over time, but generally people hear best in a wide mid-range with very low pitches being less distinct & very high pitches having less harmonic content & seeming dull or even flat, though they may really be in tune.

Here's what's really important, though: if strings are tuned through several octaves by the common method of using harmonics to work through the cycle of 5ths to derive higher pitches, the higher octaves gradually drift away from being exact doubles of lower octaves.
[I won't go into all the math of this but refer readers who wonder to check the book I list at the end of this post.]
That affects not just the octaves but every pitch as well & happens under the best of circumastances, let alone when hampered by fret wear, grime, etc., that may alter tonality along the string length.

Did You Ever Notice ?
I've long wondered why some players can, just by ear & with a few notes & chords, tune guitars faster & more consistently than others who seem to hear as accurately & are using what seem more exacting methods involving multiple string comparisons, harmonics & tuners.
I think I've figured it out, prodded by something I read in a Sonny Landreth interview.

Landreth is, for those unfamiliar, an accomplished slide guitarist.
He mentioned that when tuning, rather than, for example, starting with the 6th string & working across to the 1st, he matches the octaves on the outside strings & "works toward the middle".
That doesn't sound significantly different but as I started using that method (or my version of it), I began to hear & notice some things which I think are important both for tuning facility & ear-training.

One still must match different strings to one another & smooth the result a bit but several things have become easier.
First, by matching the octave equivalency of the E strings, they're in tune from the start rather than almost in tune, as when using harmonics or fretted-string-to-adjacent open string methods to work across the board. That seemed almost obvious.
The second revelation came more slowly.

Next I interpreted "woking toward the middle" & started matching E pitches on every string with both E strings by unisons & octave equivalence.
I did the same thing with each open string (5th~2nd), matching them first to the E pitches & rounding out by checking all open strings against fretted notes on every string.
When I started checking with chords it was almost perfect, needing little adjustment.
As I pursued this method I began introducing chordal elements earlier in the process so that, for instance, when checking open D string to D pitches on other strings I added notes from simple triads that include that pitch.

I've played guitar a long time & used many methods over time but this has made tuning much faster, with fewer repeat adjustments. Plus through the course of recent playing events my tuning remains more stable w/less need to check reference pitches.
I think it's even helped my ear a bit.

Here's Why It Works, I Think
1/ You start with 2 strings in tune.

2/ Harmonics provide a less reliable reference for pitch than fretted notes.
Besides the fact that almost all one plays on guitar involves fretted notes & they're all over the board in different positions whereas harmonics are of limited number & position & there's a slight difference between a harmonic & it's fretted equivalent.
There's also the previously mentioned facts that working through multiple harmonics to derive higher pitches doesn't quite match octave equivalence &, in many cases, harmonics on guitar string may not be "pure".

3/ Matching individual pitches exactly before fitting them into harmonies takes longer.
The sooner a pitch on any string is adjusted to match various chords, the faster overall tuning becomes.

4/ Focusing on individual strings & pitches can actually lead one further out of tune.
You get one string adjusted to another but them another string may seem not quite right.
The more one goes from individual string to string, the more likely the whole tuning will have drifted from the original reference...& you probably still have to do some chordal adjustment at the end !
That's exacerbated the more one relies on harmonies, I think, instead of fretted notes & checking things in terms of basic triads.

I don't know how closely my method may or not resemble what Landreth does but I'm convinced that, whatever his exact approach, it developed from the fact that his guitars are tuned to chords & that it's generally the basis of many others who tune quickly.
So that's the basis of my "new/old" approach.

Whether you use an instrument or a tuner for reference, select one pitch to be your "center". E works great in standard tuning because there are 2 of them & you notice when there a difference; others, in open tunings, may select whatever gives them a similar reference on more than one string.
Match that pitch with every place it occurs on every other string & then cross reference that with the other open strings exapnding that to include basic triad inversions that include open strings & fretted notes all over the board.
Never reference one pitch on any string to just a single other string but to multiple strings.
Save the harmonics for flash effects when playing; they're not really best for tuning.


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References
Temperament: The Idea That Solved Music's Greatest Riddle
by Stuart Isacoff (pianist & reseacher)
This is a thorough & detailed history of the various tuning systems leading up to equal temperament, explaing what was good about them & why they didn't work so well outside certain applications.
Is the single best source for the info I mentioned about working through the cycle of 5ths using multiple harmonics in series to wind up with octves that don't match.
He explains the math & gives his sources for research info.

If tuning by ear from a reference pitch (another tuned guitar, a keyboard, etc.), once I'm in the ballpark, I tune from the 1st through to the 6th, tug the slack from behind the nut and bridge, repeat, double check against my reference, repeat/tweak as necessary and further fine-tune like Mr. Landreth- from the outside "Es" inward to the middle. In such a case I'll ever so slightly flatten the 3rd-string.

I spend a lot less time doing all that- and more playing- when I simply use the "sweetened" GTR-preset on my Peterson StroboStomp tuner.

I don't expect to convince anyone just by my post but if one starts following the main points:
1- Use fretted notes not harmonics to set the strings.
2- Once a reference has been established on each string, don't use single notes but use chords that include open strings & notes in various positions up the neck.
...I think most will find this a faster method...or I'll give yer dollar back!

Definitely!