Klarinet Archive - Posting 000861.txt from 1997/05

From: fgarcia@-----.edu (Frank Garcia)
Subj: Tuners (was Re: Pitch of tuning notes)
Date: Fri, 30 May 1997 09:24:47 -0400

Good morning,

To me, good intonation is the ability to play a pitch in tune with other
pitches (meaning no "cycles" or "beats" between the notes), and to play
progressive pitches with correct intervallic relationships. I own and use a
tuner. I use it in my warm-ups, etc. to assure myself that I am not wildly
out of tune on individual notes or intervals. But I depend more on my ear
when I am playing with an ensemble. It seems ridiculous to pull out a tuner
in the middle of a rehearsal and start pointing fingers. In order to play
in tune, we must learn to be flexible.

Certain intervals have different intonation tendencies. The major third of
a chord is going to be played significently lower than the tuner's
recommendation, due to the overtones that instruments produce. The fifth of
a chord is played high. Leading tones are played differently as well.
(Perhaps someone with more expertise in acoustics can elaborate on this
subject more clearly than I can).

The tuner can assist you in interval tuning if it produces a tone. I use my
tuner as a sound box more than a metering device, because I am more
concerned with tuning intervals rather than individual pitches. For
example, I have difficulty lipping the third of a G major chord down far
enough. My B (middle of staff) tends to be a little sharp and difficult to
lip down. It takes practice for me to have the strength and flexibility to
play that note, as a major third, in tune, with a good tone.

A tuner is an excellent tool. But is not a guarantee of good intonation. In
other words, a tuner is not always "right".

Frank Garcia

>In a message dated 5/29/97 113455, Ed Lacy wrote:
>
>>I hope we are not producing a generation of musicians who will accept the
>>electronic tuner as a substitute for good musical ears, and who will
>>thereby become slaves to a machine. But, I'm not confident that this is
>>not happening. The tuner can be a very useful machine if used
>>intelligently.
>
>I have been considering the purchase of a tuner since I do not yet play with
>other musicians. Is there a better way to tune a clarinet and to learn what
>is "in tune" so that I can keep it that way by ear ? Thanks
>
>Thomas
>Reedman2@-----.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank Garcia fgarcia@-----.edu
Clarinet Instructor (715)394-8115
University of Wisconsin-Superior
----------------------------------------------------------------------------