Chromatic tuner for your Android device

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Tom

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The daTuner works quite well on my Samsung Galaxy (aka Android) tablet, and correlates with my standalone chromatic tuner and my calibrated ear. I downloaded the paid version, but there's also a free version.
 
That is cool Tom. Here is the best guitar tuner I have ever found. It clamps onto the headstock so it can feel the vibrations. No need to plug it in to anything. Works with either acoustic or electric and it is accurate and fast.

http://www.amazon.com/Snark-SN1-SN-1-Tuner/dp/B003VWJ2K8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336309185&sr=8-1
 
Aye Tom, I have a couple of clamp-on tuners, including the Snark. "guitar tuner' is a bit of a misnomer, although that's what it says on the box. It works fine for almost any string instrument. OTOH the other tuner I have (like this one) has a switch to tune in a given range, and it's specifically for a uke; It also has idiot lights to tell you how far off tune the string is. Either one works fine, but most folks who borrow my tuners prefer the simplicity and display of the Snark.

BTW there's no need to plug anything into the instrument or the tablet (or clamp anything on) when using the tuning app I mentioned; The built-in speaker on the tablet picks up the audio and the app does the rest. I got it merely for fun, but it does display the absolute frequency and volume. I'm curious to see how it performs when when 20+ others are tuning up around me  ;D

OTOH I have to say that my Fluke (uke) and Firefly (banjouke) stay in tune, even with the abuse they get.

I've been playing around with a number of other music-related Android apps, including key transposers, chord charts, music libraries, and score/lead sheet writers; I haven't yet found any that are as cool as the daTuner app.
 
Tom said:
BTW there's no need to plug anything into the instrument or the tablet (or clamp anything on) when using the tuning app I mentioned; The built-in speaker on the tablet picks up the audio and the app does the rest.
Does it work if the instrument is not plugged in and being amplified? That is why I like the Snark so much. I practice scales without being plugged in.
 
"Gstrings" is another phone app for tuning. I use it on an android phone. It might also be available for the iPhone.

With regard to clamp-on tuners, they are a necessity when playing with others so the tuner only hears your instrument by way of the vibrations coming through the clamp.
 
Does it work if the instrument is not plugged in and being amplified?

In my case, yes, because all my ukes have a hollow body and don't need amplification (we don't amplify any of the ukes in our band). I don't have a solid-body uke to try it with, but I hope to be at a music store where they do have them some time this week; I'll take the tablet with me.
 
With regard to clamp-on tuners, they are a necessity when playing with others so the tuner only hears your instrument by way of the vibrations coming through the clamp.

FWIW this evening I tried out the chromatic tuner on the Galaxy tablet at uke practice. It worked flawlessly, and wasn't affected by other ukes in the background. Presumably, this was due to the (low) sensitivity and directional feature/limitation of the tablet mic. Several folks used this tuner to tune their ukes, then checked them with their clamp-on tuners.
 
If you have an iPhone (or an iPad), check out GuitarToolkit.  I think it's freakin amazing.  It's a tuner, and has settings for 6-string, 12-string, Uke, Banjo AND alternate tunings (drop-D, etc.) It also has a metronome, scales, and a chord finder.

It's $10.  I put it on my iPhone, and then was pleased that it was also placed for free on my iPad.  With the bigger screen, the iPad version is awesome.

The chord finder is invaluable... after all: quick: how do you play a C#m7?  It's there.

Sometimes I get somewhere without a guitar tuner, but I always have my iPhone.  GuitarToolkit saves the day.
 
Thanks, but my devices are Android except for my iPod Touch which doesn't have a mic. There are numerous related apps in the Android Market, and I've been evaluating a bunch of their freebie versions before buying.
 
Tom said:
Thanks, but my devices are Android except for my iPod Touch which doesn't have a mic. There are numerous related apps in the Android Market, and I've been evaluating a bunch of their freebie versions before buying.

Hey Tom - you may be surprised that your iPod Touch has a microphone:
http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/specs.html
 
Thanks. I don't see a mic, but I just fired up the Voice Memo app and it says "no microphone". Maybe I have an older version of the device  ???
 
I had a first generation iPod Touch and it did not have a microphone and did not do video recording. It was the last Apple product I bought. I would rather listen to a week long Yoko Ono Music Festival than to put up with iTunes for one more minute.
 
Tom J.,

I found a chromatic tuner for the iphone. Works great for the Ukin! I never would get it tuned by ear.  ;D

I replaced the bridge with a bone bridge. Had to shape it myself. Not perfect but much better than the soft wooden one. Now I have it restrung. Maybe I'll learn to play it a little.  ;D ;D
 
Sounds like good progress Jim! Can't wait to hear it.
 
Jim, I'd bet it has it's own unique and great sound, probably bright, but not like a banjo uke. I'm sitting here with 8 ukes, and no two of them make the same sound.

So, start practicing, then have Pat video it and put  it on YouTube  ;D
 
Tom,

I've already had my 15 minutes of fame.  ;D ;D ;D I did find a neat site for beginners that even has audio tracks for different practice sessions. Made it through the three basic chords and strumming. The link is http://www.ukeschool.com/index.html
 
Jim, ukeschool has done a nice job on their site (I spent a little time there this morning). There are other good ones out there, including www.ukuleleunderground.com but it's whatever best serves one's needs.

When you're ready for 'music' (aka lead sheets), there are a number of sites that offer a large selection of online music/downloads for free. I created a page of links to such sites here; More uke music than you could ever need.

One useful (and fun) book of uke tunes is Liz and Jim Beloff's The Daily Ukulele; Contains chords and words for 365 uke songs, with chord diagrams displayed for each song. For someone with a keyboard, regular music scores are included. I have the printed (spiral bound) version, but it's also available on Kindle.
 
BTW Jim, which strings did you put on the ukin?
 
I have the first gen of ipod touch and no mic, not sure which one added the mic.  My ipad first gen doeshave the mic and I have the tuner.  My clamp on is the one I use though.

Wow, ukes have certainly made a comeback. 
 

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