Klarinet Archive - Posting 000752.txt from 1999/03

From: Gary Truesdail <gtruesdail@-----.us>
Subj: Re: [kl] Intonation questions
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 18:04:44 -0500

Gary Truesdail once said:

You cannot focus on intonation but you cannot ignore it.
Playing in tune must be only barely in the realm of consciousness when
playing. You have too many other things to worry about to put so much
focus on a single item, i.e. precision, dynamics, phrasing, tone,
blending, the role of your part in any given passage. Psychologist have
known for a long time and recent studies confirm that the human mind has
much difficulty keeping track of over 3 things at a time. There is a
hugue difference between an amature musician and a professional. A
professional reaches a much higher level of performance (crosses a magic
line if you will) where you do not concentrate on everything that is
going on, your mind is intune with the total musical product at any
given moment and is at such a high level of receptiveness that you
respond to what is not right rather than overconcentrating on only one
element. To do this you must possess the degree of proficiency in each
element that enables you to play freely and relaxed so you can give your
all at each extrem of each element.

You must also be comfortably aware of what changes, particularly in
regards to intonation, will have to be made when your role switches
from playing with the strings to playing with the brass to carrying a
solo lead line. And it must all happen automatically

ON TUNING THE BAND OR ORCHESTRA

The clarinet has the LEAST FLEXABILITY, intonation wise, of all the
instruments except the perpetually out of tune harmonics in some chimes.
I hate having everything go right than suddenly it seems like the
strings all go flat or the trumpets all go sharp and never return,
causing difficulties for everyone else. Then when the WW are do their
thing it all falls back into place.

When I tune a community band (I retired from symph. work 12 years ago) I
purposely tune them a little flat because as soon as then play the first
MF they go sharp and stay there. If I use another barrell or mtpc then
the clar may go wacko.

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