Falseness in guitar strings

by Brian Capleton     

In the previous exercises, you may have noticed a single open string beating on its own. This beating is called false beating. On the guitar, you will not generally be able to alter this beating, or stop it. Any interval in which this string is included, will always have this beating in its soundscape.

If you are tempering an open string fourth, deliberately tuning it so that it beats, remember that the beating you are hearing may be false beating in one of the strings, and not due to tempering of the interval. You may have to alter the strings further, to be sure the fourth is actually wide.

Listen to each open string first, and see if you can hear beating in its tone.

Next, is the issue of string inharmonicity.