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How good is your sense of intonation?

Author: Plonk
Date: 2020-02-10 18:13

After playing some long tones with my tuner today I decided to google "how many cents is considered out of tune" and came across this fun little test.

Listen to four pairs of tones, and say which is higher.
http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2010/03/can-you-hear-like-an-audio-engineer/
The difference goes from 50 cents to 12 cents and the author says he finds 12 cents difficult.
I got all four correct, but the last one I had to listen to each tone about 3 times before I could be sure.

Also interesting is that the average Joe can't really detect even 25 cents as being out of tune:
https://bulletproofmusician.com/how-perfect-does-your-intonation-have-to-be/

Post Edited (2020-02-10 18:13)

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Re: How good is your sense of intonation?

Author: ACCA
Date: 2020-02-10 18:48

4/4 correct, but using cheap headphones, the six cents difference was somehow easier to notice than the 12 cents difference!

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Re: How good is your sense of intonation?

Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2020-02-10 19:04

Take Piano tuning

http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com

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Re: How good is your sense of intonation?

Author: jimk
Date: 2020-02-10 20:39

If you use an iPhone, there are some apps available that will ask you to compare the pitch of two tones. I've used one called TuningEar, but there are others.

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Re: How good is your sense of intonation?

Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2020-02-11 01:39

Enjoy your humor David!

Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces

Yamaha Artist 2015

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Re: How good is your sense of intonation?

Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2020-02-11 01:52

Most, or many, musicians will probably go 4/4. My problem isn't hearing intonation clashing, it's hearing it in an ensemble and deciding a) if I'm the one who's off and b) which way.

Becoming familiar with my instruments' tuning, becoming familiar with other ensemble members' tuning, and sometimes referring to a tuner all help, yet sometimes doubt remains. Then if you try an adjustment, maybe it gets better and maybe it doesn't - is someone else trying their own adjustment at the same time? I've gotten into a back-and-forth thing with someone sitting next to me before. If possible, I try to match the section leader, or sometimes certain other instruments.

Good intonation in a large ensemble is hard.

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