I received an email asking about tuning the instrument from a keyboard player who is soon to be a harpejji owner. I thought I would post the instructions here in case anyone else could use them in the future.

1) Get a tuner. You could do this without one by referencing some other in-tune instrument, but it will be much easier with one. They range in price from free plug-ins you can download for you computer to 200usd. A cheap one will work fine. Korg makes fairly reliable ones. Make sure the tuner is set to A440, unless you are intentionally tuning to something else.

2) If you are using a mixer or some form of 2 channel preamp, send an out from the mizer/preamp to the tuner, otherwise, plug the melody side of the harpejji into the tuner.

3) Start at a C (diamond) in the middle of the fingerboard. Play the C and see how it registers with the tuner. If it is flat, use the supplied allen wrench to turn the tuning screw clockwise. If the note is sharp, turn counter clockwise. NOTE: small turns will due it. Repeat the process of playing and checking until the note is in tune.

4) Move up one string in pitch and repeat the process. You will now be tuning to a D. Repeat the process as you move up each string.

5) Starting at the middle C again, now tune the bass strings using the same process. If you are plugging straight from the harpejji into the tuner, you will need to switch from the melody to the bass cord from the stereo out of the harpejji.

6) Now you have more or less tuned the harpejji. However, the instrument may have slightly adjusted if many strings were out of tune. At this point, I typically due a second pass by ear just to make sure that the octaves sound good and the the instrument as a whole sounds in tune.

The first time I tuned the instrument, it took about 20-25 minutes. As the strings have settled in and I have grown more accustomed to it, the whole process typically takes < 5 minutes.

Two more tips:

New strings tend to stretch as they settle in to the instrument, causing the instrument to go flat. This means you will have to tune the harpejji (or any stringed instrument) more frequently with a new set of strings. There are ways of minimizing this

When changing strings is to "stretch" the strings before locking them in place in the tuner. When installing strings, I pass the strings through the tuning mechanism and then pull on them with a needle nosed plier. Strings on tapping instruments are generally under less tension than other strung instruments, so you don't need to pull with all of your might. I pull the strings tight enough so that they are a pitch or 2 above the desired tension of the string, and slightly loosen tension back to the normal pitch (or just a hair sharp) before tightening the string with the clamp. This "pre-stretches" the string slightly, and reduces the amount of additional stretch that will occur bedfore the strings settle in.

Also, I use the curved handle end of the pliers to slightly depress the strings in front of the saddle. You don't need to depress too hard. This helps ensure a good contact between the string and the saddle, and pre-adjusts an angle in the string that is likely to move slightly as the string settles in.

Here's another tip to make things go faster:

PROBLEM:
Many tuners ignore overtones and look for the lowest pitch present in the signal. Sometimes an unintended open string vibration can confuse the tuner, making the needle go whacky. While the harpejji d1 does have electronic muting, it unmutes all 12 strings at a time once you've fretted within that 12 string section. So, you rely on the fuzzy damper to quiet the unwanted open string resonances. While the damper might quiet those enough for music, your tuner doesn't mind it being quiet and still recognizes it as a pitch that is present.

SOLUTION:
As you tune within a 12 string section, start from the lowest string, and then place a cloth (I actually like to use a paint roller pad) on the strings below the one you are tuning. That way, the lowest pitch present is always the string you are on. No more whacky needle.

I will also note here that I personally pre-stretch every string of the harpejji before my final tuning. That said, a new string is a new string and it wouldn't hurt for you to pull the strings a bit before tuning, at least while your instrument is brand new.

_________________
Tim Meeks
President
Marcodi Musical Products, LLC