How to Tune Your Docerola in Pairs of Strings, Step by Step.

What notes a docerola is tuned to

A docerola uses the same six notes as a normal guitar: from thickest to thinnest, E-A-D-G-B-E. The difference is that each note is doubled in a pair of strings. That's what gives it that big, ringing brightness you recognize in regional Mexican music.

Like most clip-on tuners, apps, and your KARMA's built-in tuner show the note by LETTER (English system), learn this equivalence so you know which letter to look for on each string:

• 6th string (thickest): Mi = E
• 5th string: La = A
• 4th string: Re = D
• 3rd string: Sol = G
• 2nd string: Si = B
• 1st string (thinnest): Mi = E

Complete note → letter equivalence: C=C, D=D, E=E, F=F, G=G, A=A, B=B.

Paired strings: in unison

Here's the key to KARMAs: the two strings in each pair are tuned in unison, meaning to the exact same note. When both strings in a pair are identical, the sound becomes big and full; if one is slightly off, it sounds "dirty" or "wavering." Your ear is your best ally: tune until the pair sounds like a single thick string.

What to tune with

The most practical option is a clip-on tuner on the headstock, or a tuner app on your phone. The clip-on tuner is better in noisy places like a rehearsal or a dance, because it "feels" the vibration and isn't bothered by ambient noise. Tune string by string, not all at once.

Does your KARMA have a built-in tuner? (Karma Boost)

If your docerola is a KARMA Alpha, Spirit, or Lotus, you don't need to buy anything extra: it already has the integrated Karma Boost preamp system, which includes a chromatic tuner. And if your docerola is a KARMA Enso, X, Infinity, or Legend, it comes with the Karma Boost Pro, also with a chromatic tuner. In either case, you can tune without a clip-on tuner or a phone.

To use it: turn on the preamp, pluck a string, and the tuner will show you the LETTER of the note. Just make sure each string shows its correct letter —6th E, 5th A, 4th D, 3rd G, 2nd B, 1st E— and that the note is centered (with the arrow not going to the sides). Tune one string of the pair first, then its partner, until both show the same letter and sound identical.

The method, pair by pair

Work on one pair at a time: first tune one of the two strings to its note, then tune its partner until it sounds identical. Move to the next pair and repeat. ALWAYS tune by going up to the note: if you overshoot, go below and come back up, so the string is properly seated in the nut and doesn't "jump" later.

If a string struggles with tuning

If a pair won't stay in tune, it's almost always one of three things: new strings that haven't been stretched (pull them and retune), a poorly cut nut that snags the string (you hear a "snap" when tuning), or a change in climate. We cover this in depth in the article about why a docerola goes out of tune.

Maintain tuning

After tuning, stretch the strings if they are new, store it in its case, and control humidity. A well-built docerola, once settled, will hold its tune dance after dance.

How KARMA solves it. Your KARMA docerola comes factory-tuned with paired strings, with 10-47 gauge KARMA strings and a bone nut cut precisely for that gauge, so it seats well and stays in tune. And if it ever needs fine-tuning, its dual-action truss rod makes it easy for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a docerola tuned?

To the same notes as a guitar (E-A-D-G-B-E), but in paired strings. On KARMAs, each pair is in unison: both strings to the same note.

Are the two strings in each pair on the same note?

On KARMAs, yes, in unison. Tune one and then its partner until they sound identical, without "wavering."

Do I tune up or down to the note?

Always up. If you overshoot, go below and come back up. This way the string doesn't get stuck in the nut and the tuning lasts longer.

Does my KARMA docerola have a tuner?

Yes. The Alpha, Spirit, and Lotus series come with the Karma Boost system with an integrated chromatic tuner; the Enso, X, Infinity, and Legend come with the Karma Boost Pro, also with a chromatic tuner. Just turn on the preamp and look for the letter of each string (6th E, 5th A, 4th D, 3rd G, 2nd B, 1st E).

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