Would a guitar tuner work on a human voice ?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether a guitar tuner can effectively work on a human voice, particularly when singing single notes or scales. Participants explore the capabilities of tuners designed for instruments and their potential application to vocal sounds, including both isolated notes and acapella singing.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that since a guitar tuner works with sine and sawtooth waves, it should also work with a human voice when singing single notes.
  • One participant reports that their KORG tuner responded to their voice while singing scales, indicating that the tuner can pick up vocal tones, albeit inconsistently.
  • Another participant expresses uncertainty about their ability to sing specific notes accurately, suggesting that they might not be able to test the tuner effectively.
  • There is mention of using free tuner apps on phones or PCs as an alternative method to test vocal pitch.
  • A participant shares their experience of using a tuner by whistling, which indicates that tuners may respond to different sound sources beyond just guitar strings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the effectiveness of guitar tuners for human voices. While some report success in detecting vocal pitches, others express doubts about their own singing abilities and the tuner's reliability with vocal sounds.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the variability in individual singing ability, the potential differences in how tuners respond to various sound waves, and the lack of empirical testing with controlled vocal examples.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in music technology, vocal training, or those curious about the intersection of instrument tuning and human voice pitch detection.

btb4198
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So I have a program that works for a guitar, and sinewave and a saw tooth wave .
so If a have person sing a note, it should work for that right ?
I am not talking about sing a whole song but just a note.
so like when people sing the scales:
do ra me fa so la ti do
is should would for that right ? are there something I do not know ? I do know the human voice is closest to a saw tooth wave.

also would it work if a person sings a song acapella?
 
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I tried it on my KORG tuner and it responded using the do ra me...

if i wavered my voice a little I was able to get the green light to turn on and the meter to register a guitar string so its picking up some tone from my voice but I couldn't hold it for long. I guess you won';t be seeing me on American Idol, oh well.
 
btb4198 said:
So I have a program that works for a guitar, and sinewave and a saw tooth wave .
so If a have person sing a note, it should work for that right ?
I am not talking about sing a whole song but just a note.
so like when people sing the scales:
do ra me fa so la ti do
is should would for that right ? are there something I do not know ? I do know the human voice is closest to a saw tooth wave.

also would it work if a person sings a song acapella?
Why not just try it? There a loads of free tuner apps for your phone or PC. You could practice and do it as a party trick. :D
 
sophiecentaur said:
Why not just try it? There a loads of free tuner apps for your phone or PC. You could practice and do it as a party trick. :D

lol I can't sing... There no way I can sing a "C-4" and know it is "C-4". I know a guy that says he can do it, but he is busy with finals and then he is going out of town, so more than lately I will not see him until the school starts up again. I am trying to test my program but I did download a free tuner app and my program seem to work as good as the tuner for a guitar.

Also, I could not find a video of anyone just singing one note at a time and saying which note they are singing. I have been looking but no luck.
 
I have made my iPhone tuner work by whistling and finding where the OK light comes on. The tuner I use has a graphical (rolling) display to help you zero in. (Guitar Tuna)
 

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