My guitar tuning app's 'popular tunings' list is quietly steering me away from weird sounds I love.

It's creepy how a simple tool for creativity now pushes me towards what's already common, killing the fun of finding new noise.

4 comments

4 Comments

the_felix1mo ago

My first app only showed E standard and drop D, so I got bored fast. I started using a chromatic tuner instead and just turned the pegs until it sounded cool. Now I keep a notebook of weird tunings I find online or make up myself. It takes more time but way more fun than following a list. Sometimes the best noises come from totally random string tensions.

west.seth1mo ago

You're onto something with random string tensions making the best noises. I ditched tuning apps for the same reason, they just give you the basic stuff. Grabbing a chromatic tuner and twisting pegs until it feels right is way more fun. It forces you to actually listen and you stumble into chords you'd never find on purpose. That's how I found my favorite tuning, just total accident. The weird ones stick with you longer than drop D ever could.

wren_palmer451mo ago

That's so true what @west.seth said about finding stuff by accident. It happens everywhere, not just with tuning. I get the same feeling when I cook without a recipe and just throw in what smells good. Following the exact steps never seems to turn out as interesting, you know? It's like planning too hard just kills the chance for something cool to happen.

riverw171mo ago

Totally get that feeling with cooking too. It's like the plan becomes a cage and you stop paying attention to what's actually happening in front of you. Following a recipe note for note just turns you into a robot following orders. When you wing it, you have to really taste and adjust as you go, which is way more like actually playing music. You're not just hitting preset notes, you're reacting to the sound in the room. That's where the good stuff hides, in that space between what you meant to do and what actually happened.