Southcoast Ukuleles sent out a marketing email the other day saying that it was better NOT to use an electronic tuner. Their points were that
a) you should have your strings relatively in tune but if you are by yourself it doesn't matter what the key is, and (b)you will develop your ear better by learning to use it to tune.
I think this is very wrong advice and to some extent is an expression of some of my frustrations with the ukulele community.
Yes, ukulele playing should be fun. We aren't training to be members of the philharmonic. But a little basic musicianship will lead to better playing which will ultimately be more fun. If you want to tune to a key other than standard tuning when you are by yourself. Go for it. There are a lot of good reasons to do it. But you will have a lot easier time fitting in with other musicians, and also learning to copy things you hear, if you at least develop a sense for where standard tuning is. Change your key all you want, but know you are changing the key.
Your ear will develop better with an electronic tuner. I played saxophone for years. Woodwinds are all inherently out of tune. Kind of like playing fretless, you tune them with your ear as you play. I played a couple of years with a college band that had some of the top professional studio musicians as ringers. Guess what, some of the top woodwind players in the world practice with electronic tuners clipped to their instrument. In my view the Internet and electronic tuners are game changing for people learning to play. My ear has improved significantly since using electronic tuners. Consistently hearing things in tune makes it more apparent when they are not.
Music is tone, pitch and rhythm. A metronome is also an aid. Is Southcoast ukes going to suggest - never use a metronome - you'll learn to keep time better if you rely on your natural sense of time. Are they going to suggest that it doesn't matter if you keep time because you are only playing by yourself?
If you want to play by yourself and only by yourself, then don't use a tuner, don't use a metronome. If you want to learn to play music with other musicians or that other people will enjoy, get a tuner, practice with a metronome, learn a bit of music theory and (gasp) learn to read music.
a) you should have your strings relatively in tune but if you are by yourself it doesn't matter what the key is, and (b)you will develop your ear better by learning to use it to tune.I think this is very wrong advice and to some extent is an expression of some of my frustrations with the ukulele community.
Yes, ukulele playing should be fun. We aren't training to be members of the philharmonic. But a little basic musicianship will lead to better playing which will ultimately be more fun. If you want to tune to a key other than standard tuning when you are by yourself. Go for it. There are a lot of good reasons to do it. But you will have a lot easier time fitting in with other musicians, and also learning to copy things you hear, if you at least develop a sense for where standard tuning is. Change your key all you want, but know you are changing the key.
Your ear will develop better with an electronic tuner. I played saxophone for years. Woodwinds are all inherently out of tune. Kind of like playing fretless, you tune them with your ear as you play. I played a couple of years with a college band that had some of the top professional studio musicians as ringers. Guess what, some of the top woodwind players in the world practice with electronic tuners clipped to their instrument. In my view the Internet and electronic tuners are game changing for people learning to play. My ear has improved significantly since using electronic tuners. Consistently hearing things in tune makes it more apparent when they are not.
Music is tone, pitch and rhythm. A metronome is also an aid. Is Southcoast ukes going to suggest - never use a metronome - you'll learn to keep time better if you rely on your natural sense of time. Are they going to suggest that it doesn't matter if you keep time because you are only playing by yourself?
If you want to play by yourself and only by yourself, then don't use a tuner, don't use a metronome. If you want to learn to play music with other musicians or that other people will enjoy, get a tuner, practice with a metronome, learn a bit of music theory and (gasp) learn to read music.
