Klarinet Archive - Posting 001117.txt from 2000/06

From: mus_ldj@-----.edu
Subj: Re: [kl] Pitch Survey
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 02:05:33 -0400

but isn't it a good rule of thumb for some instruments to tune a bit sharp to the
pitch because as they warm up the flatter they get?

Richard Bush wrote:

> Dave,
>
> You bring up an interesting point. My observations with both orchestras
> (amateur) and wind bands is that when an A is sounded, woodwinds and strings do
> a pretty good job of finding it. Those who don't are the same folks who seem to
> have problems from week to week, such as a second oboe who always plays sharp
> because of both how she plays and the reeds she uses. THEN, a Bb is sounded and
> all the trumpets contribute varying degrees of sharpness to this pitch offering.
> After all the dust has settled--THEY'RE STILL SHARP. Why conductors allow this
> is beyond my comprehension, but I hear it time and time again. Those guys just
> hear sharp. They are confusing the "cutting" tone and "projection" they want
> with pitch. On a couple of occasions I've turned around and asked them if they
> would consider a slightly lower tuning. They have fudged with their tuning slide
> and basically left it where it was before.
>
> When a group can't even decide upon a pitch to tune to, what hope is there of
> things getting any better in the heat of battle and when chops start to fade?
>
> "David B. Niethamer" wrote:
>
> > on 6/18/00 9:50 AM, Karl Krelove wrote:
> >
> > >The oboists in this area generally get out a Korg (or similar tuner) and
> > >play an A that they lip up or down to show A440 on the tuner's gauge. Thus,
> > >we can say we're tuning to A440. Of course, the A moves up almost
> > >immediately to whatever the market will bear, because even the oboist's real
> > >(non-lipped) pitch isn't 440 once he/she starts playing and trying to
> > >"project." The Philadelphia Orchestra, I believe, tunes to either 440 or
> > >442, and of course their oboists are more careful to have a reed that
> > >actually plays (focuses) at the tuning pitch.
> >
> > The Richmond Symphony tunes at 440 (and up, as the wags would say!). For
> > a long while our official pitch was 442. The people who were always flat
> > at 442 (and agitated for the change) are *still* under pitch, and those
> > who play sharp are just a bit more sharp than they were before!
> >
> > My intonation, of course, is flawless ;-)
> >
> > David
> > (who, in the immortal words of horn player Philip Farkas, would rather be
> > sharp than out of tune!)
> >
> > David Niethamer
> > Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
> > dnietham@-----.edu
> > http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/
> >
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