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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000087.txt from 2003/12

From: PhilFrei@-----.com
Subj: [DR-L] Re: Tuning Trivia
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 15:52:39 -0500

Hi -

I used to use a tuner, both the type that gives an A and the type that
visually shows your own pitch. But I am back to using a tuning fork, and not because
I am a technophobe or am too cheap to buy replacement batteries.

Without the audible tuner or feedback needle to back me up, I HAVE to
mentally hear and produce a steady, accurate tone (this keeps me on my toes). And
people can't ignore me and just go by the tuner. They have to decide whether or
not to commit to my note or not.

Based on my experience mostly at the community musician level, I think ritual
aspects of tuning that promote listening and committing are at least as
valuable as any minor adjustments one might make to a tuning peg or head joint
position. After all, most instruments are flexible enough to allow someone who is
listening to play in tune even if they aren't at precisely the best
adjustment.

Many intonation problems arise when people decide they are correct (that
pitch is an absolute, as a tuner tells us) rather than accommodating their
neighbor (just as they have to accomodate the oboist during tuning when they can't
hear the oboist's tuning fork).

Interesting idea to me: have the tuning pitch rotate through the orchestra
(no audible tuners allowed). This way, on a regular basis we would get practice
listening and tuning to all the different instruments, as well as experiencing
the responsibility of producing an accurate A. This idea is meant for
community orchestras, not professional groups.

Phil Freihofner