Use our web app to practice tuning A4 to zero cents.

In a real piano, you have to tune three strings to within 1 cent of 440 Hz.

These are the steps at the piano
1. Mute one string of A4.
2. Tune the DSU clean.
3. Judge/Measure. If A4 is within 1 cent, go to step 6. If not, go to step 4.
4. Move one string in the direction of A4. Use the sound of the out of tune DSU to give you an idea of how much you have moved the first string.
5. Move the other string and tune the DSU clean again. Go to 3.
6. Remove the mute.
7. Tune the trichord clean.

In our exercise below, you only need to tune two strings, but because this technique is so accurate, we ask you to tune A4 to 0 cents, because you can.

Here are the steps for this exercise:

1. Tune the DSU clean. (It is not clean at the start)
2. Measure the DSU.
If the DSU is not clean, you will not get a reading and you will use one of your tries.
If the DSU is clean, you will get a measure of the DSU.
3. Move one string the amount you are away from A4 in the direction of A4.
4. Use the other string to retune the DSU clean.
5. Remeasure. If A4 is not at 0 cents, go back to step 3

You are done when A4 measures 0 cents.

Every time you measure A4, it will be added to your tries.

Try to get 3 tries or less. It can be done.

1) Tune the DSU clean.
2) Measure (Try #1)
3) Move one string the approximate amount. Retune the DSU. Measure (Try #2)
4) Move one string the exact amount. Retune the DSU. Measure (Try #3)

Think of it like a Par 3 golf hole.
Try #1. 1st hit off the tee, on the green. (That's when you have to move the DSU a lot, like 4 or 6 cents.)
Try #2. 1st putt. Get close. (That's when you are off by about 1 cent.)
Try #3. That's when you tap it in the hole, from about 1 cent or less.

Play DSU

Raise #1 Raise #2

Lower #1 Lower #2

Measure DSU

[tcb-script] var tries = 0 var dsu = [ "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n1.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n2.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n3.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n4.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n5.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n6.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n7.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n8.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n9.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n10.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n11.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n12.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n13.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n14.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n15.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n16.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n17.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n18.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n19.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n20.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n21.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n22.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n23.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU1n24.mp3" ]; /* var dsu2 = [ "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n1.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n2.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n3.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n4.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n5.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n6.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n7.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n8.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n9.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n10.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n11.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n12.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n13.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n14.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n15.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n16.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n17.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n18.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n19.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n20.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n21.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n22.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n23.mp3", "https://howtotunepianos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/DSU2n24.mp3" ] */ dsuCents = [-3.2,-2.8,-2.4,-2.1,-1.8,-1.4,-1,-0.6,-0.3,0,0.4,0.8,1,1.5,1.8,2,2.4,2.8,3.2,3.5,3.8,4.2,4.6,5 ]; var randomDSU = Math.random();if (randomDSU < .17) { iii = 0;}else if (randomDSU >= .17 && randomDSU < .34) { iii = 1;}else if (randomDSU >= .34 && randomDSU < .5) { iii = 2;}else if (randomDSU >= .5 && randomDSU < .67) { iii = 21;}else if (randomDSU >= .67 && randomDSU < .84) { iii = 22;}else { iii = 23;} if (iii === 0) { jjj = 4;}else if (iii === 1) { jjj = 4;}else if (iii === 2) { jjj = 4;}else if (iii === 21) { jjj = 19;}else if (iii === 22) { jjj = 19;}else { jjj = 19;} function playDSU() { track1 = new Audio(dsu[iii]); track2 = new Audio(dsu[jjj]); track1.play(); track2.play(); } function raiseDSU1() { var coin = Math.random() if (coin < 0.5){ iii = iii + 1 } if (iii > 23) { iii = 23; alert("nnYou are at the limit of a string's pitchnn"); } track1 = new Audio(dsu[iii]); track2 = new Audio(dsu[jjj]); track1.play(); track2.play(); } function lowerDSU1() { var coin = Math.random() if (coin < 0.5){ iii = iii - 1 } if (iii < 0) { iii = 0; alert("nnYou are at the limit of a string's pitchnn"); } track1 = new Audio(dsu[iii]); track2 = new Audio(dsu[jjj]); track1.play(); track2.play(); } function raiseDSU2() { var coin = Math.random() if (coin < 0.5){ jjj = jjj + 1 } if (jjj > 23) { jjj = 23; alert("nnYou are at the limit of a string's pitchnn"); } track1 = new Audio(dsu[iii]); track2 = new Audio(dsu[jjj]); track1.play(); track2.play(); } function lowerDSU2() { var coin = Math.random() if (coin < 0.5){ jjj = jjj - 1 } if (jjj < 0) { jjj = 0; alert("nnYou are at the limit of a string's pitchnn"); } track1 = new Audio(dsu[iii]); track2 = new Audio(dsu[jjj]); track1.play(); track2.play(); } function measureDSU() { tries = tries + 1; diff = dsuCents[iii]-dsuCents[jjj]; diff = diff*10; diff = Math.floor(diff+0.5); diff = diff/10; if (diff !== 0) { alert("Your DSU is not clean. Try again."); } if (diff === 0 && iii===9 && tries >= 4){ alert("Awesome! You tuned a clean A4 DSU to 0 cents!nThat took you " + tries + " tries.nTry to get 3 or better. (Page will reload)"); location.reload(); } if (diff === 0 && iii===9 && tries < 4){ alert("Awesome! You tuned a clean A4 DSU to 0 cents!nAND that only took you " + tries + " tries. Very nice!nTry to do it again. (Page will reload)"); location.reload(); } if (diff === 0 && iii !== 9){ alert("Your DSU is clean but it is at "+ dsuCents[iii] + " cents.nTune it to 0 cents."); } } [/tcb-script]

Exercise 6

You are trying to access a lesson in

But you are not logged in.You must be logged in and a member to access this lesson.

But you are not logged in.
You must be logged in and a member to access this lesson.