Guitar In Tune, E Chord Sounds Out - Try This! #shorts

For everyone who makes a comment about tuning the guitar…
The guitar is in tune. If you play, you will know that the problem comes from a mixture of intonation compromise, nut height and finger pressure. Not everyone has all of that perfect all the time. So for those people, this can help.
For all of you perfectly in tune people out there, carry on!

[deadtothewxrld]

I used to slightly detune the G string and my friends told me that everything was in tune and I was crazy. Years later I learned in a Pete Thorn video that Eddie Van Halen did the same, and I felt as justified as I ever have 😎

[RobertSaxy]

Let my try and save TPS some typing here. Guitars use a tuning called tempered tuning. I’m tempted tuning all 12 notes in an octave are equally spaced apart, the problem with that is that certain intervals will be out of tune because they don’t match up with the tuning in the harmonic series. The most obvious ones are the major third and major sixth which if played “in tune” will be 14 and 16 cents sharp respectively. Unfortunately in order for guitars to be useful in the way we’re accustomed they have to be tuned in tempered tuning. Being in tune with harmonic series is called “just tuning” but not all instruments are capable of that. The open E chord on the guitar is probably the worst in this regard because we have to press down on the first fret to play the major third which will probably make it go sharp even from the tempered tuning. If you can be aware enough to super lightly press just that note then you can get close to being in tune but that’s damn near impossible to do all the time. The only intervals that work perfectly with tempered tuning other than unisons and octaves are fourths and fifths, that’s why we call them perfect. As a trombone player (or any other instrument that can make tuning adjustments on the fly) playing major thirds and sixths “flat” is a big part our intermediate level learning

[MichelLamblin]

Is it just me or does it not sound so bad?

[JensHilzensauer]

The harmonics of the distortion give you a major third which collides with the tempered (equally spaced 12 semitones in one octave) third. That’s why many guitar players tune their thirds to the song in the studio.
Minor thirds need to go higher, major lower.

[minkorrh]

Yep. A g string is always one thing I've wanted take off.

[burnoutzzz]

I usually tune my low E ever so slightly too low, it fixes that problem and the ever so slight difference in the intonation just make it sound thick instead of out of tune. Makes chugs sound like heaven too

[TheMusicianTom]

Back in Black (AC/DC) the bass plays the 3rd in some chords, which the guitars stick with root V chords. Genius bassist.

[donaldblankenship]

Yes! I started muting the 3rd in every open chord, it works great in AC/DC songs. ❤

[johnathanandrus]

Always go by sound over all else. If you have to mute or add notes, or change tuning by some cents, do it. The whole thing is an instrument with a wide variety of tunings and sounds that may sound off or bad when isolated, but in context of certain harmonies and melodies may sound cool or interesting, which will "catch the ear" and make the person hearing it shift their attention to the song where they'll start to focus on the intricacies and possibly fall in love with it, creating "a fan."

[chrisdiceart]

Great Tip! I had a jerk lead player "hide" this from me when I was coming up to speed in my first band.

[skepticalbystander]

Just gotta mention the wonderful color of that wonderful SG, love me them SGs :)

[mfam]

This is why I use wound 3rds. Every chord sounds great.

[arphod]

Some tuners, notably the Peterson Strobostomp, have settings that offer a tempered tuning, or "sweetened, " that minimizes what Mick is talking about. Works pretty well.

[WyattBrown]

Sounds powerful!! We could call this technique a "powerful chord"! No that doesn't sound quite right...how about a "powered chord"? No that doesn't sound right either. If only there was another name...

[cabot]

It’s nothing to do with equal temperament - the G# in an E chord played on a piano sounds fine. It’s because a guitar needs a compensated nut for cowboy chords to sound in tune. This is due to the physics of real vibrating strings and the increase in tension near the nut. An easy solution is to insert a Hosco Sound Offset Spacer under the strings against the nut.

[smelltheglove]

I never knew this happened to anyone else, I always thought I was being too heavy handed or something. Solved the issue in a similar way though.

[scottemmonsmusic]

You can compensate the nut so the distance to the 1st fret is correct. Saddles can be intimated, besides a Floyd you can adjust the G string slot in the nut.

[realraven]

distortion actually adds the major third as result of harmonics. that's how power chords work.

[bryanh]

That’s why I tend to use the D shape in my open E chord. Open low E, barre the second fret for the other strings. Ring finger on the 4th fret of the G string, pinky on 5th fret of the B string. Very full sound and lots of options for other variations 👍

[frmcf]

Nice! I've successfully ditched the 3rd from my G chord, and now I can get rid of it from my E as well!