Klarinet Archive - Posting 000629.txt from 1999/03

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Intonation questions
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 03:02:21 -0500

Phil,

Enjoyed reading your post below. I think we are pretty much in agreement. Without too much displeasure, I hope, I would like
to sprinkle a few of my comments into your posting.

Phil Shapiro wrote:

> OK,
>
> I know that I'm going to get alot of heat for this but...
>
> It is my firm opinion that once you've gotten an idea of your
> instruments tendencies, via your tuner's indicator, you should never use
> that feature again.  Over the last 25 years I have seen a decline pitch
> accuracy amongst PROFESSIONALS that directly follows tuner use.

In principle I agree, but I would never say "never." As both a player and a repairman, I know that an instrument can
gradually loose its good tuning. Sometimes pads will swell and distort, changing their effective height and opening.
Sometimes key corks will get smooshed or fall off and not get noticed. As players we adapt or our mind's "ear" slowly adjusts
and becomes conditioned to the new tuning.

>
>
> To be blunt, if you're using the needle you aren't using your ears. 
> Plain and simple.  I can count on one hand the number of wind players I
> know who can function without the "electronic ear".  It has become so
> pervasive that people don't check pitch with each other any more. 
> Whenever I voice a pitch concern to my fellow players, out come the
> machines.  That's not a good sign.  We don't play with the tuners
> sitting on our stands always on.  At least not yet.

Tuners are used only as a reference, a place to start or maybe reconvene if matters get too crazy. I don't think they were
ever intended to take the place of ears, nor should they. People who pop out the tuner when questions arise or their own
tuning is brought into question are totally missing the point.

>
>
> I don't mean this to be tacky in any way, but this is a problem mainly
> for professionals.  If you don't play regularly, or don't play in a
> group that has a stable pitch center, then tuning without mechanical
> assistance can be difficult.  But it's not impossible.  With a little
> practice the human ear, in most cases, can easily hear differences of 2
> vibrations per second.  Acuity of 1 and 0.5 vibrations per second are
> not uncommon.

Any time two players are out of tune with each other they really should be able to hear it. In this case, the ear is much
more sensitive than any flighty needle flip-flopping all over the place. We totally agree here.

>
>
> I don't discourage my students from owning tuners, but I teach them how
> to use one properly and monitor the way they use them.  Once we
> determine the instrument's pitch tendencies, and identify (and correct
> if possible) any bad notes, we stop using the needle.  Usually 2
> lessons, 3 tops.  Then we have the tuner play pitches and we play scales
> to them, both directions, learning the sound of the intervals as they go
> in and out of tune.  Then, I get nasty and slightly mis-adjust the
> tuner.  He-He.

I wish you had gone into a little more detail here when you said, "...how to use one properly..." What most people who treat
a tuner as the "Gospel Truth" don't realize is that a tuner indicates an equally tempered scale. The tuner does not identify
the major third that needs to be lowered a fair amount or the flatted seventh of a chord that needs to be lowered a lot.

>
>
> I didn't mean to get off on a diatribe, but reading all these posts
> about how many cents here, and how many cents there and what the
> tempering is....That's all useless in real life.  All of that analytical
> stuff goes right out of the window when you get a harp in the pit, or
> the soloist tunes high for better projection, or the gorilla stagehand
> slams the Steinway into a wall, or (gulp) you're accompanying a guitar
> concerto.  You have to play in tune and that's all there is to it.  And
> for that you need trained ears, not trained eyes.

I think talking cents makes a lot of cents for certain things. It helps me set up a clarinet when I'm working on it. It helps
me determine if a mouthpiece is helping or hurting the tuning of an instrument. You're right, what happens in real life is
far different than paying homage to some dumb needle. It is only a tool. It can be used wisely to learn, to check and to
validate certain things, but it sure ain't going to get two or more folks in tune with each other.

>
>
> Soapboxfully yours,
> -Phil

Hope you will accept my two cents worth as just wishing to be a part of the conversation and in no way intending to
aggravate. Cheers RB

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