 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: SGTClarinet_7
Date: 2004-12-02 18:38
In my line of work, I come across people all of the time who think they know how to properly warm up and tune an ensemble. Isn't there some guidelines for doing a proper warmup for any kind of wind ensemble? Also, what is the best, or proper way, to tune? Too many people in my unit have too many theories, but none that seem to work for more than 10 minutes. Thanks!
Matthew
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2004-12-03 14:29
Warmup: Play a bunch of notes into your instrument before tuning.
Tuning: Methods vary. My ensemble uses a very particular system in which first chair players listen back and section players listen only to the player just above them. This system constantly adjusts during rehearsals/concerts.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2004-12-03 15:50
Most importantly, make certain the instruments are totally warmed up before the tuning process is begun. To do this, I suggest an "easy" scale--diatonic, thirds-- followed by a short selection like a Sousa march, just to get plenty of collective warm air blown through the instruments. Once done, then begin your tuning routine.
I suggest having the "traditional" concert Bb given by one instrument (usually the oboe or the first clarinet using a tuning meter) and have the entire ensemble sing or hum that pitch. Then going one section at a time in score order from high to low--ex: flutes; clarinets; alto sax/clarinet; tenor/bari sax (you may wish to tune the saxes "one by one"); bass clarinet and bassoons; all "woodwinds"; then the brass: trumpet/cornet; horn; trombone/baritone; tuba; all "brass". Then. listen to "the note" and sing/hum one more time. Then, have the entire ensemble tune from the "bottom up" adding each instrument grouping while the others sustain--low brass, bassoons, bass clarinet and bari sax; horns, trumpets, alto/tenor sax; and finally, clarinets, flute and oboes. All the while, emphasizing the importance of the listening process. This whole routine can be accomplished in a few minutes (5 to 10) but it is time well spent!!
Having tuned to one note, another "fun" thing to do is play a scale, up and down, having various instrumental groupings start at different times--at the thirds--in whole or half notes. Have each section sustain the last note until all reach the end of the scale. Stress constant listening for ensemble balance and individual tone quality in adition to playing every note in tune.
Beyond this tuning proceedure--many variations work as well--a good friend of mine puts it this way: "It is more important to play in tune that to be in tune". Simply put, just because to can successfully match one pitch doesn't mean that any other note on your instrument will also match. In any ensemble, every musician must constantly listen and adjust to maintain good intonation. Or, as another good friend of mine often says: "Good intonation is good cooperation". And the key to all of this is "good" listening for personal intonation, tone quality and the general balance of the total ensemble. It is the conductors main task to get everyone in the ensemble to practice good listening habits constantly (not just when "tuning"). Good luck and good listening to you and your musicians.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John O'Janpa
Date: 2004-12-03 21:46
Our wind symphony uses essentially the method described by William.
Our director frequently reminds us to "listen down" giving the preference to the low instruments when things begin to shift.
For an ensemble to play in tune requires constant attention from all the players. Even if every instrument started in perfect tune (which will never happen), adjustments would have to be made depending on whether you are playing a third, a fifth, etc.
Playing in tune separates the good from the mediocre.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: claclaws
Date: 2004-12-04 01:29
William,
Thank you for the know-how. Could I apply what you wrote to a string-wind ensemble? In the same vein with the brass/woodwind combination, should we start from wind to string (fl->cl->1st vn->2nd vn->vc)?
Lucy Lee Jang
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-12-04 02:19
In a string ensemble, the tuning note is an A and started by the concert master/mistress which is the lead violin. First the strings tune, then he/she'll play an A again and the winds will tune to him/her.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2004-12-04 07:26
Our orchestra tunes to the oboe, winds & brass first, followed by the strings, led by the concertmaster based on the oboe pitch. The clarinets usually need to continue to tune when the rest of the winds are done on account of being the ONLY people in the orchestra besides percussion with more than one instrument.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2004-12-04 15:19
The sme tuning principals that I outlined should also apply to any other ensemble--wind or string. The key, however, is like my friend says, "It is more important to play in tune than to be in tune". Listen, listen, listen..........and never stop after that.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sarah
Date: 2004-12-05 04:33
My college concert band tunes to the tubas, presumably they have checked their pitch (well all arrive early to warm up by ourselves). Then low brass and woodwinds add in, and then all instruments add in. Then we play a Bb triad (we are told what to play at the beginning of each semester, 1st clarinets have the 5th of the chord) and then go down by a half step, return, go down another half step, and so on. (Firsts play E, Eb, E, D, E, Db, E, C, E, B, E.)
The orchestra conductor just has the oboe give a pitch for the winds, and another for the strings. Warming up is done before rehearsal starts.
For wind ensemble (a chamber group that varies in size and instrumentation each semester) We just tune to the oboe or clarinet depending on who is in the ensemble, we also warm up before rehearsal starts.
I really don't think there is one correct way to warm up and tune. I think it is more up to the individual players and conductors to find what works for them. Obviously you do want to warm up and tune before rehearsals, but there are many ways that you could do that to get a satisfactory result.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-12-05 17:34
With my group (big band instrumentation), individual tuning is the responsibility of the sections, and is usually accomplished during the random, mass o' notes, individual warm up periods. For the actual tuning, we rely on "doing it as you go", keeping well in mind that the relative pitch of wind instruments change as they "heat up".
Regarding overall "warm up" of the group, I use my reading pile of new arrangements, taking one or two off the stack and doing a single "run through" of each. This has the added advantage of giving the vocalists a look at the lay of the new piece, plus it helps identify what each player will need to work on at practice at home.
(This also gets me a rough idea of what needs to be done with the new arrangements, such as percussion stuff, dynamic and articulation changes, and so forth. Even hearing a stumbling first pass through a new arrangement is better than trying to visualize what's needed from the parts alone.)
Another good feature of this is that my two vocalist who are not good vocal music readers get to hear what they should be doing. Once they get their feel for their opening pitches and the general rhythm of the piece, they can fine tune their own practice to save a lot of time when we run through the piece in the rehearsal for which it is scheduled.
Absent any new music to be read, we warm up with an all-instrumental "old favorite", one of which is the Houghten arrangement of American Patrol. No extended solo work, just a nice piece of ensemble playing, and one that allows the sax players to tune both the saxes and the doubling horns in the process.
Only occasionally will any intonation issues have to be brought to the attention of a particular player. Our form to follow on this is to have peers say something like "Hey, get the sock out of that thing!" This sensitive, caring approach helps keep everyone on their intonation toes.
I am not a fan of what I call "concert band tuning", where the director tries to calibrate each and every instrument to two or three pitches. For complete amateurs, that may have slight benefits, but for people who know their horns, it's a waste of time and treasure. I too also find amusing the orchestral tuning situations where they allow everyone enough time to tune one instrument. When I'm sitting there with three horns (Bb, A, bass), it's useless to try and get it done there and then. So, I end up tuning the "secondary" horns as I go along. Other than clarinet players and an oboe/English horn player, few others have to deal with this travesty.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
