Getting Knilling Perfection Pegs!

April 3, 2006 at 7:49 PM

So I just dropped off my new violin at Violins etc... to get Knilling Pefection Pegs installed. I really love those things. No fine tuners, now slipping pegs.

Additionally, as a Novice player, I find it impossible to tune with out fine tuners, just Pegs really takes the life out of me. Moving back and forth etc... Especially since I'm somewhat neurotic and need to have it exactly in the right spot on the Tuner to be satisfied.

From bill _
Posted on April 3, 2006 at 8:10 PM

Stop using a tuner.

From Ben Clapton
Posted on April 3, 2006 at 11:31 PM

yea, don't use a tuner. Use your ears. If you use a tuner, your strings will be out of tune.

From Jason Thomas
Posted on April 3, 2006 at 11:53 PM

I take you guys are not fans of tuners. So how will I know when it's at the right pitch?

From bill _
Posted on April 4, 2006 at 2:00 AM

When it sounds right.

From Emily Liz
Posted on April 4, 2006 at 6:11 PM

First, learn what a fifth sounds like. Use GDAE on the tuner until you can sing the notes out loud.

Once you can do that, bow smooth, even double stops on the open strings. It might take a while, but eventually you will hear the sound waves of the notes. When the two strings are out of tune, the sound waves will be cranky and make almost a rattling noise - like a butterfly battings its wings against a glass jar. It's difficult to describe. When you get them in tune, however, the sound will be smooth and pure.

It might take a while but learn how to tune this way. It makes life so much easier.

From bill _
Posted on April 4, 2006 at 9:12 PM

You can actually learn what a fifth should sound like without using a tuner at all. Sing Do Re Mi Fa So. Do to So is a 5th. Let's say you are happy with your d string, and want to tune the a to it. Play the d, then sing up from it. That will be the 5th--the A.

Then, using Emily's idea, after you have matched the A to your scale that you sung, you can then play it against the d, and listen for that happy smoothness she described.

Because you will have the perfection pegs, you will find it easy to fine tune and listen for the thrumming of slight out of tuneness and the smoothnes of in tuneness.

If oyur bowing is not good, you might create some false notes, but just keep at it.

From Jason Thomas
Posted on April 5, 2006 at 1:55 AM

Thanks for all the advice and tips. I appreciate them greatly.

This entry has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.