Electronic Tuners

[Smark0264]

I am interested in purchasing an elecronic tuner that is not too expensive, and is easy to configure for my Alto saxophone. Please assist. Any other assistance offered on how to build a good and accurate tone is also appreciated!
Scott

[Gregg W. Jackson]

I use a Korg CA-30. It has an LED dial and red-green-red lights which really help in badly lit clubs. It lists for $35 and is discounted down to $15-$20.

I also use Matrix Universal Tuner Pick-Up, which allows me to pick up the vibration of my horn directly through a contact mic that clips on to the horn. This bypasses the mic in the tuner and makes it much easier to tune when there's a lot of background noise. (When isn't there in a club?)

[Smark0264]

Gregg, Thanks for the info!

[Smark0264]

Gregg, Will this help with my tone? I practice long tones everyday. There seems to be a lot of lattitude with overtones, and was wondering if this would help me narrow down my tones?

[Gregg W. Jackson]

I'm not an expert in this area, but, in my opinion, a tuner will help you with your tone.

First, each note that you play on your horn should be in tune with the rest of the notes on the horn. Even if the horn is perfectly designed, constructed, and maintained, you chops can create variations in the intonation. Working with a tuner can help you identify those variations and learn to deal with them. This will also accustom your ears to hearing the correct intonation of each note.

Second, a tuner will tell you if the intonation of the note is fluctuating as you sustain it when you play long tones. This, in turn, will help you regulate your air flow better.

Third, the tuner is also valuable for practicing altissimo, since it will help you find which fingering variations work best for your horn and your chops.

[Smark0264]

Awesome help Gregg!! Thanks again! I think I am going to purchase it...I am just a beginner and am really seeing a long road ahead. However, it is not the end result, but the journey that I am interested in.

[Media Lint]

I use a peterson strobe tuner when I'm at home. I use my ears and the line I drew after tuning to the strobe tuner when not at home.

[Andrew D]

I just ordered one too 8)