Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Helpful Music Ministry Gadgets: Tuner App

2 comments

Again, let me begin this by saying that this church musician is not sponsored by any products or services.  If I see a product or service that seems to have great value for us in music ministry, then I genuinely mean it.

This one seems intuitively perfect for us.

I previously wrote about a light percussion program for popular smartphones.  This is another "app" for the iPhone.  That is Silicon Valley speak for another "program for a particular Apple smartphone called the iPhone."  It is called Cleartune Chromatic Tuner.  Yes, it simply turns a phone into a handy tuner.  Great idea, but how does it work?



It uses the phone's microphone to listen to your instrument, then displays the pitch on the screen.  The display is quite intuitive with an easy-to-read pitch dial or "note wheel" indicating the current pitch.

Why does it work for church musicians?  Simple.
First it is very portable.  This is especially important for those of us who often lug our own instruments to church.  Avoiding the weight and bulk of a tuner is a smart way to go.  Second, the price can't be beat.  It costs under $4.  For churches and musicians on a budget, as most of us are these days, this cannot be beat.  No other tuner I know comes close to this price. 

What are the downsides? Yes, this is limited to those with a particular type of phone, the iPhone.  For now.  But for those of you in music groups check with your musician friends.  Perhaps someone else may have this iPhone since they are quite popular.  I don't have one of those phones (still on the outside looking in), so personally, I am hoping this handy app is ported to other phones soon.  Believe me, I will let you know when this happens! 

Having not used this I would be curious to know how it functions in, say, a noisy church with other instruments warming up nearby.  Also, how jumpy or jittery is the pitch dial?  As many of us know, it can be difficult tuning to a nervous tuner!  Having said this, though, I can't wait to try it!  Has anyone used this Cleartune Chromatic Tuner?  What are your findings?  Would you recommend it to others in music ministry?

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2 comments to "Helpful Music Ministry Gadgets: Tuner App"

ssanteiu said...
May 2, 2010 at 1:38 PM

I had no idea you could do this with an iPhone. Sounds really useful! I hope you find out how it works.

TallPaul said...
May 3, 2010 at 7:57 PM

Me too. Has anyone used this app?

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