I have a question. How do you tune your violin? So far I have been using a Chromatic tuner or my teacher does it. But then guess what, I have just been promoted to Grade 4, and the next Grade requires me to tune my own violin for the exam. So how do you guys do it? Will the examiner watch while you tune? Will he allow you the play the piano and tune accordingly? My teacher once said her teacher didn't teach her how to. But maybe that's because my teacher has perfect pitch and didn't need to be taught.

You are not required to tune the violin yourself for the grade 4 or 5 exam.
Your teacher is allowed to tune for you before the exam starts or you can bring along an electronic tuner to the room.

You don't have to tune your own instrument until Gr 6 and above. I usually tune my students violins before going in and then they "tune" themselves inside. The examiner doesn't take any notice really. It's not part of the exam if that's what you're worried about.

but what if the tuning of the piano differs from your tuning?

i'm scared too, my G string is ALWAYS out of tune but the rest are ok.

If you can tune the rest and your G string is the main trouble, play on the piano G and D together, try and fix it in your head and then transfer that onto your violin.

When I'm tuning my viola I play the notes for each of the four strings on my piano (A, then D, then G, then C) because I find it too difficult to just tune to A.

Ooh, and I've got another idea, harmonics, e.g play the harmonic on your G string (NOT natural harmonics) and then play your D string, they then should sound an octave apart, then D harmonic with A, then A harmonic with E. Did I make sense?

QUOTE

Ooh, and I've got another idea, harmonics, e.g play the harmonic on your G string (NOT natural harmonics) and then play your D string, they then should sound an octave apart, then D harmonic with A, then A harmonic with E. Did I make sense?

Isn't that what cellists do when tuning?

You don't have to tune your own instrument until grade 6. You are allowed to play the piano and tune to it in the exam, and normally my teacher tunes my instrument before I go in anyway.

The examiner doesn't really take any notice of you while you tune and it definitely won't affect your mark.

Okay, that sounds reasonable. Although my teacher said you can only play ONE note in the exam room for tuning purposes. Maybe she was kidding about that. The exam won't be until next year anyway, and Grade 5 is some distance further down the road.
How do you play harmonics, isabel? I have no idea! LoL...

You can play more than one note for tuning in the exam!!!
Harmonics are played by just touching, not pressing down on, specific places on the strings, such as half-way up each string. You can also get artificial harmonics where you press a string at the same time as touching it in this way, but that's a bit complicated!

Ok, sounds like the accidental kinds of sounds i make while playing my violin. Hee hee! Especially when i accidentally touch another string with my finger and bow. I didn't know violins had two kinds of harmonics.