Klarinet Archive - Posting 001166.txt from 1999/03

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Tuners - what's a good one to buy?
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 19:04:06 -0500

On Sun, 21 Mar 1999 haydenmusic@-----.com wrote:

> I think that clarinetists have to re-examine the use of tuners for
> everyday practice.

I thought your comments about the use, misuse and overuse of tuners were
very good.

> Are you going to take your tuner and put it on your stand when you
> perform.

I have recently seen musicians doing just that. (In an orchestra
rehearsal, with a tuner on the stand and a contact microphone clipped to
the bell of the instrument and plugged into the tuner.) What is the world
coming to?

> When I studied clarinet with my teacher(David Weber) we tuned to
> Concert A with a tuning fork (the old time ones mounted on hollow
> block of wood and you would have to make it vibrate when you tuned the
> note.

But, there is a fallacy in this procedure. There is a surprisingly broad
range of pitches which will excite vibrations in such a tuning bar or
fork. You could make the bar vibrate, and still be up to three or more
cycles per second sharp or flat. I've also seen trumpet players playing
in a recital, having the pianist hold the pedal down, and blowing their
tuning note, very loud, directly into the piano. They get a false sense
of security that they are in tune when they hear the same pitch vibrating
in the piano strings. Once again, using the ears is the solution.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu

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