Sharp practice

[Tezzerh]

A naive question maybe, but can anyone explain why when I tune my mandolin I sometimes find some of my strings are slightly out of tune - on the sharp side? I can understand why a string would slacken off slightly, thus becoming flat, but surely it has to tighten to go sharp. How can it do that on its own? What gremlins lurk in my mandolin case?

[Dale Ludewig]

It's likely that the slots in the nut are too small. They're binding on the string. Thus when you tune, the tension between the tuner shaft and the nut is greater than the tension between the nut and the bridge (the tone you're listening to). After a bit of time, the string slides through the nut slot and the tension on the whole string equalizes and the string sounds sharp. Solution: sand or file your nut slots a little wider.

[Pete Martin]

I'll propose something different:

I find that every teaching day, I have to keep tuning my mandolins sharper to stay in standard pitch both my Gil and especially my A2. They go a bit flat as I play them. When I pick them up the next day, they can be almost a 1/2 tone sharp.

I think it may have something to do with body heat. The instruments body is so small, I wonder if holding it against myself has some heat transfer? Especially here in the cool (except today ) northwest climate.

I am probably way off base here, but its my theory.

[Jim]

Humidity, Your instrument absorbs some water from the air swells a little and goes sharp.

[OldSausage]

Or, in the morning the string are colder, they contract and go sharp.

Or maybe mice play it at night, and mouse concert pitch is 448. Always keep some cheese in your mandolin.

[Marty Jacobson]

Tuning up to the note, rather than down to it, should help. But as Dale mentioned, it probably needs some nut work.

[Ivan Kelsall]

There have been any number of threads/posts on here re.strings going out of tune & i feel that there could be as many reasons as threads. Both my mandolins are affected by temp. - they go sharp when cold & flat when warm.Humidity in the UK isn't usually a problem unless we get a very prolonged hot,dry spell which is pretty rare. My Weber's bottom "A" string goes sharp sometimes. I've carefully polished the nut slot & even lubricated it at one time,but it still does it. I've just learned to tune it slightly flat,then after i've played it for a few minutes,it goes 'sharp' & up to pitch & stays there,
Ivan

[Pasha Alden]

Hi Ivan and all others on this thread - my experience similar to that of Ivan's. Mandolin sometimes flat, then it goes sharp. I am certain the temperature is a factor. The past few days it was flat and suddenly with the onset of a chilly and rainy autumn (fall) day or two it is perfectly in tune.

[mandobassman]

Humidity, Your instrument absorbs some water from the air swells a little and goes sharp.

These are all possibilities but I think this is the most-likely answer. It happens with my mandolin as well. Depending on the temperature and humidity the mandolin retains or loses moisture and the instrument swells or contracts. Just a couple of days ago I got may mandolin out to noodle a little bit and decided to check the tuning. I play it almost every day but seldom check it to a tuner unless I'm doing a gig. When I got the tuner out the entire instrument was a half-step sharp, which means the strings all went sharp in unison and stayed in tune to each other. Some instruments are more sensitive than others.

[Ivan Kelsall]

We're experiencing some really warm weather in the NW UK at the moment,not destined to last long i'm afraid,but one plus point for the warm weather is that both my mandolins sound much richer in tone when they get 'warm'.When they're cold,not only do they go sharp,they sound constricted & 'tight'. When they get a bit warm(er),they sound like totally different instruments.The volume increases & the whole tone opens up,
Ivan

[Tezzerh]

Fascinating stuff, everyone. Thanks for the very knowledgable responses. The wonderful thing about this forum is that you just have a thought about something, mention it, and - ping! - there is your answer. I must admit I'm bit daunted by the thought of taking a file or sandpaper to my mando, though. Sounds a bit severe for what is not a particularly annoying problem, as I can re-tune when necessary. I am intrigued by the explanations about humidity and I shall try tuning slightly flat (thanks, Ivan) and tuning up rather than down (cheers, Marty). Any more theories, folks?