Klarinet Archive - Posting 000466.txt from 2005/08

From: "kevin fay" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] "Tuning" vs. Intonation
Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2005 22:58:53 -0400

sarah elbaz posted:

<<<When there is a general tuning problem in an ensemble - the reason is
listening.>>>

IMHO, this is Wisdom.

A fine conductor & pedagogue I was once privileged to play under gave us
kids a great lesson on intonation. (Who he was isn't particularly
important, what he taught was). We were a high school honor band that had
perhaps two rehearsals to put the music together, so he didn't have much
time to dwell on fundamentals. He fixed a lot with a two minute lesson.

He said that he could spend hours teaching all sorts of techniques to raise
and lower pitch on particular instruments, what to do in particular chord
structures at certain times, along with leading tones and all of that . . .
none of which would work at all without the Secret Ingredient.

"To play in tune" he said, "you have to *want* to. Listen hard and figure
it out."

Since that time I've learnt and forgotten a lot of music theory. This one I
remember.

kjf

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