Tuning forks produce sound waves when tapped. With this type of test, the tester gently touches the tuning fork on their knee or elbow, making it vibrate, and then holds the tuning fork at various places around your head. This test helps to determine if sounds are not transmitting effectively into your inner ear – in other words, if you have conductive hearing loss because your auditory nerve or your inner ear are not working the way they should.