Klarinet Archive - Posting 000907.txt from 1998/05

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] intonation in large groups
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 20:17:46 -0400

I had an excellent wind ensemble conductor in college by the name of Bill
Cole. (He was also at one time the principal trumpet of the Seattle
Symphony). He remarked that playing in tune really only has one
requirement--you have to want to. It sounded wise, and to me still does.

kjf

-----Original Message-----
From: merlinw@-----.ca]
Subject: Re: [kl] intonation in large groups

On 05/15/98 16:35:52 you wrote:

>The recommended note for both orchestra and band winds is concert F.
>This note is an optimum tuning note for all wind instruments.

Sorry, but it's not an optimum pitch for tuning Eb saxophones. The fourth
line D tends to be a very sharp note on sax. Concert A is a great tuning
note for alto and baritone sax, as it is a very stable note on those
instruments.

We sometimes forget that using A as a tuning note for an orchestra is done
because all of the stringed instruments have an open A.

There's been plenty of discussion re: tuning - some people like to stand
around with electronic tuners for twenty minutes trying to tune every player
in the band individually. It seems that the band rarely sounds better after
this process than before.

I prefer to warm up a band using a march - a street march that is
essentially tutti throughout. This will generally get everyone warmed up.
Then, I ask them to tune to the oboists A for the woodwinds, and Bb for the
brass. I then played a very slow chorale, and hold the pauses quite long,
so that people can hear the root and adjust their tuning. For people who
may only play once or twice a week, this can really help to get the ears
working - and let's face it - if you don't listen and adjust in context -
you can't play in tune.

Merlin Williams
merlinw@-----.ca
http://www.netcom.ca/~merlinw
(A member of the Sax Ring!)

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