Double Bass A string being weird

G

Griffin Teu

Jun 25, 2024
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#1
My A string is hard to tune. my other strings have the same frequency when im tuning with arco or pizzicato, but the A string's frequency when pizzed is 10 hz higher than when it is bowed.

also how do i change my username i dont want my real name on here
 
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#2
Those are two very different questions.

Message me and I'll help to change your username.

I don't know about the string, bow weight can make the string sharper, but I'm not sure what would make it flatter.
 
#3
I'd advice to check Bass Tuner BT1 into your phone. It's free. It's a tuner that shows development of pitch over time.
All stringed instruments play higher on the start of the tone, and only after some short time they settle into pitch. So, for example, you might find a rock bass guitarist who plays fast notes when tuning, and tunes to the "beggining of the note" rather than the "settled note", because he feels this way he's better in tune, playing his fast bass lines.

With double bass, this effect is more extreme due to long thick string. In my limited experience, softer strings detune more than stiffer, and plastic core strings detune more than steel core strings. It is possible that you have some kind of strings that detune more readily than others. Or, since not all basses like all types of strings, it may be that your bass simply don't like your A. Luthier can tell, or try different strings.

Also, can you really hear the pitch difference? In the time of amateur apps everywhere, it is well possible that your tuner shows nonsense, confusing Hz with cents, or tuning to a note above 1000 Hz where 10 Hz doesn't really mean much... ear can say.
 
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#6
When tuning with pizz, I play as softly as a tuner can detect, to minimize the effect of pulling and releasing the string.

When tuning arco, I double check with harmonics of adjacent strings.
 
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#7
turf3 said:
When tuning with pizz, I play as softly as a tuner can detect, to minimize the effect of pulling and releasing the string.

When tuning arco, I double check with harmonics of adjacent strings.
Click to expand...
The harmonics are only going to get the bass kind of in tune, especially if you’re playing with keyboard or fretted instruments: the 3rd partial (“7th fret harmonic”) is just a hair sharper than the 4th partial of the lower adjacent string when compared to 12-TET, which means that if your A is in tune the D and G strings will be slightly flat (with the G flatter than the D) and the E will be slightly sharp when tuned using harmonics. It’s not by a lot and I doubt it’s something most listeners will notice, but it’s something to be aware of when tuning to harmonics/pure intervals.
TroyK said:
Those are two very different questions.

Message me and I'll help to change your username.

I don't know about the string, bow weight can make the string sharper, but I'm not sure what would make it flatter.
Click to expand...
Too much weight with too little bow speed will make the string sound flat in my experience.
 
#8
the_Ryan said:
The harmonics are only going to get the bass kind of in tune, especially if you’re playing with keyboard or fretted instruments: the 3rd partial (“7th fret harmonic”) is just a hair sharper than the 4th partial of the lower adjacent string when compared to 12-TET, which means that if your A is in tune the D and G strings will be slightly flat (with the G flatter than the D) and the E will be slightly sharp when tuned using harmonics. It’s not by a lot and I doubt it’s something most listeners will notice, but it’s something to be aware of when tuning to harmonics/pure intervals.

Too much weight with too little bow speed will make the string sound flat in my experience.
Click to expand...

To the first point, I have a pet theory that certain strings are worse than others for tuning harmonics. Unfortunately, the strings that I distrust the harmonics most, I prefer virtually everything else about them.

To the second point, my teacher was recently telling me that slow bow speed made pitches go flat. I was dubious but tried it and he/you are absolutely right.
 
#9
Mark_T said:
To the first point, I have a pet theory that certain strings are worse than others for tuning harmonics. Unfortunately, the strings that I distrust the harmonics most, I prefer virtually everything else about them.

To the second point, my teacher was recently telling me that slow bow speed made pitches go flat. I was dubious but tried it and he/you are absolutely right.
Click to expand...
Inharmonicity is kind of inherent with any stringed instrument, and from what I understand thicker and shorter strings will be more inharmonic than thinner and longer strings (but please don't quote me on this). I've definitely noticed over the past few years that the 3rd partial ("7th/19th fret" harmonic) of my E strings (usually the Spirocore weich extension string, sometimes I use the medium) tends to be significantly sharper when the E string is "in tune" to 12-TET compared to the top 3 strings' 3rd partials.
 
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