I guess I missed this thread when it was really active. Why didn't Art jump in with his wonderful tuning puns? Maybe they're already posted somewhere else.

I've tried tuning electronically but it is actually slower than doing it by ear and certainly no more accurate. Besides, it gives you one more thing to cart around, keep track of, and buy batteries for.

The best approach to tuning is to practice doing it, just like we practice any other aspect of playing and performing. If you really practice tuning by ear, you'll get very good at it in a surprisingly short time.

Don't use harmonics or fret matching or any of that, just practice hearing how adjacent open strings are supposed to sound and getting the sound right. There is a quiet "beat" you can listen for that helps in the learning. You don't need perfect pitch to do this and the effort invested will pay you back in many ways.

- Mark