Klarinet Archive - Posting 000654.txt from 1999/03

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Intonation questions
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 13:52:19 -0500

Hi Ed,

I wish to take you to task on your statement below. I think I know what
you're saying, and in one way I agree. However, I feel further clarification
is in order.

Edwin V. Lacy wrote:

> On Wed, 10 Mar 1999, Phil Shapiro wrote:
>
> > 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.
>
> Exactly right! If we could play the chromatic scale while watching to see
> that the needle on the tuner never moves, then every note would be out of
> tune except for the tonic pitch of the key in which we might be playing at
> the moment.

Every note, except the tonic and octave would be out of tune if, at that time
and in that musical context, you or the musical group were subscribing to the
"just tuning temperament."

If the group was trying to match the tuning of a piano, say as an
accompaniment to a piano concerto, then trying to keep that needle straight
up and keeping in compliance with the "equally tuned temperament" of the
piano, would be the right thing to do and would be PLAYING IN TUNE. Playing
in tune should always be qualified "with what."

Both equal temperament and just tuning are used and interchanged from moment
to moment in any good band or orchestra. The trick is knowing when to use one
or the other.

If the band is playing a tutti unison, common ground is probably most easily
found by subscribing to notes that come close to an equally tempered scale.
The same could be said for a fast, unison chromatic scale in any section.
When things get fast, and when diverse instrument types in diverse keys are
all trying to play quickly together, finding common ground is paramount.

Playing harmony in an ensemble is quite a different matter, and this is where
you can throw the tuner out the window. This is where just tuning should
predominate. Leonard Smith's, "Treasury of Scales" is just the most wonderful
way to teach a band where the major third goes, what "perfect" perfect fifths
really are, and just how flat (1/3 of a half-step) the flatted seventh of a
dominant seventh chord needs to be.

Everyone in a band, everyone who plays a wind or stringed instrument should
strive, very hard, to get good at playing an equally tempered scale. They
should learn the tuning tendencies of their instruments, its good and bad
notes and there own player-tuning tendencies.

They should also become good and flexible at altering, humoring or lipping
notes to an extreme degree in both directions.

They should learn to hear and identify exactly what member of the chord they
are playing so that they can make the right move.

Equally spaced notes of the equally tempered scale and the just tuning system
that lines everything up according to the overtone series make very strange
bed fellows and a fascinating topic for consideration.

I would like to put in a plug for a book that was written by my teacher and
mentor, Dr. Max Dalby. This is a great little book that gets into tuning in
an easy to understand way. Actually, many band topics are covered. The book
is called "Band Rehearsal Techniques: A Handbook for New Directors." It is
published by The Instrumentalist Publishing Company (publishers of the
Instrumentalist Magazine), 200 Northfield Road, Northfield, Illinois. Older,
more experienced band directors can read it too.

>
>
> > Soapboxfully yours,
>
> Shouldn't that be "Soapboxically?"
>
> Ed Lacy
> el2@-----.edu

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