Violin Basics: So do you know how to tune your violin?

So, do you know how to tune your violin? Well, I guess you do.

But just for kicks, think back a bit. Do you remember the days when every string on your violin had a tuner which made tuning a simple twist to a turn? And then you grew strong enough to turn the pegs and your teacher started teaching you how to tune on your own.

Well, perhaps that instruction started by holding the violin between your legs.

Plucking the string and turning the pegs was to make the sound lower, then turning the peg to make the sound higher.

Next could have been holding the violin in the normal position and using your left hand to stabilize the scroll while turning the peg.

You would use your bow, but being careful to not press too hard as this could cause the string to stretch or go flat.

So tuning like this, you put your pinky on one side of the scroll and the third and fourth fingers around the scroll, the thumb and the first finger on the sides of the peg as they are used to turn the peg.

Oh yes, you would have started by tuning the A string and then playing the D with the A, tuning the D, and then the G with the D, tuning the G.

As for the E string, you use your left hand like this to turn the tuner. You see, the tuner stayed on because the string is thin and if you turn the peg too far, too fast, you could snap it. So did you learn that when the string was just a wee bit high, you could pull the string to lower the pitch or push right above the nut to raise it? Still not sure, however, that this is a good thing for the string.

And do you remember the peg getting completely stuck, making it impossible to turn? Did you use wax to help loosen it up? So is this what you remember? Did you learn it something like that? Oh, oh yes, I almost forgot.

Did you learn to tune the A by using a tuning fork? Do you remember what those were?

Automatic video-to-text transcription by DaDaScribe.com

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