 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Jason M
Date: 2001-10-26 15:52
I have noticed on many blues and rock CD's the tuning is usualy a semi tone down fom concert pitch, whenever I have played in a band we have always tuned down as well, it is easier on the singer. I have played with Sax players, but have never asked them what they prefer and they have never complained... so now that I am playing a wind instrument in Bb, I see the logic behind this, as it is far easier to phrase scales, arpegios etc when playing, is this the way it is commonly done? I would hate to go to a jam session and find I have to transpose all my notes, what a nightmare for a beginner!! I know you will say practice all the scales, I will but I like to get out playing. Transposing on any stringed instrument is easy, but wind instruments, I have emense respect for those that have to.
I play along to CD's (anything from Pink Floyd to John Lee Hooker), and they seem to be all tuned to anything except concert C usually Bb.
I await in anticipation for the good news.
J
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Todd W.
Date: 2001-10-26 17:20
Jason--
I'm not clear what you are asking.
TUNING is having all players adjust their instruments to match a pitch (usually Bb in bands and A in orchestras) so that they all play in tune. You would not normally (if ever) tune a semitone flat.
Are you perhaps asking if various groups play pieces in different KEYS? That's very common, and, yes, some keys are easier to play in than others--depending on the instrument. Some common keys for bands would be C, F, Bb, Ab. If there is a singer involved, sometimes keys will be chosen for the comfort of the singer (which occasionally puts some instruments in unusual keys).
In any case, if you are playing clarinet and reading from a concert pitch part (the piano part, for example) you will always have to transpose up a step.
Am I answering the right question?
Todd W
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jason M
Date: 2001-10-26 17:53
Thanks for the reply, not quite what I was after, I know about keys etc I was just wondering whether bands that have woodwind in them (sax and clarinet) do they tune to the woodwind instruments. I was asking this as I may join in some jam sessions with the clarinet when I become a little more consistant, and am trying to avoid the nightmare of being at a loss when I have to use fingerings I am not quite familiar to yet for eg. a whole scale full of flat's.
I don't know how semi-tone crept in, I meant a tone. So the guitars etc would tune down a full tone to match the woodwind. I play on a variety of stringed instruments and have no problem transposing up or down to whatever, not so ideal on the clarinet - for me anyway.
Basically, do we force em to tune to us???
J
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2001-10-26 18:23
As I hate to admit it, I played in some rock bands in high school and college, and even some after that, on tenor sax. (Well, it was fun, and the money wasn't bad either) Many of the songs were typically in concert C, D, and especially E, which means tenor sax in D, E and F#. It's really just a matter of getting used to it, and thinking in the specific key signature all the time.
If you've never checked it out, there is a great monthly column on playing jazz and rock sax (clarinet) in the Saxophone Journal. It might be worth subscribing to...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jason M
Date: 2001-10-26 18:34
I am more thinking along the lines of Blues and Jazz, however I have found on some more rock type albums (usually 70's era) bands tune down, even with no horns. I think on Pink Floyd's 'Wish you were Here' where there is some horns I think, I am sure they tune down to Bb.
J
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William Hughes
Date: 2001-10-26 18:51
My son tunes his electric guitar down a whole tone in order to play Nirvana's music. No wind instruments there, however.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sarah
Date: 2001-10-27 00:30
Some rock (and blues I think) use different tunings for different sounds. Like, they might tune the "E" string on a guitar to D. I dont' know if you use fake books, but they are usually printed with C, Bb, and Eb parts. And I bet there is notation software that will transpose a part into any key.
sarah
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2001-10-27 03:19
First of all, no clarinet or saxophone will tune a half tone down from concert pitch. And there is one other instrument, still used quite a bit, that is a lot of trouble to tune down: a piano.
[Here's where it gets off-topic....]
However, to recall a bad scar from the good old days: one of the most bothersome nights of my life was playing a *really big* dance. The leader of our quartet (Piano, Guitar, Drums, and Me) had been assured the piano in the hall was in great shape, having just been tuned. We arrived to discover that the piano tech hadn't wanted to try bringing the piano up to pitch (it had been *so* bad), so he tuned it a semitone flat. My oh my, did I wish I'd had an A-pitch clarinet (or a D sax!). Very little of our stuff was on charts anyway, and I spent most of the night transposing in my head from something that was otherwise pretty much automatic. Yecch!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jim (E)
Date: 2001-10-27 04:11
Most notation software will easily transpose to any key, the drag usually is getting the piece entered into the program.
An exception to the piano rule are digital pianos, keyboards and organs, most of which can be easily set to any key. Our Korg piano is set by pressing a function key and a specific tone key at the same time. The Allen organs (yes, there are 2) in our church have a rotary switch, each click shifts the pitch one semitone.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Eileen
Date: 2001-10-27 18:40
I play both guitar and clarinet. Some guitar-based songs are in particular keys to achieve a distinct sound. An open string has a different sound quality than a fretted string. Many blues (and punk rock) songs are written in E or A to take advantage of the sound of the open low E-string in the bass note of the chord. That droning effect is accentuated when the E string is tuned down to D. Many country songs are written in G or keys using G for the full ringing effect of using all six strings in the chord. (Some chords do not use all the strings). If a guitar player is playing slide, certain open tuning keys must be used.
What this means is that the guitar players may be reluctant to change the key if it alters the character of the song. If those qualities are not important, it is a simple matter on a guitar to use a capo (a clamping device which raises the key) to accomodate a singer or wind player. Most acoustic players use capos routinely; many electric guitar players do not. So I would make sure that you ask the guitar players to bring one along.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Peter
Date: 2001-10-28 14:08
Hi Eileen,
Most strictly "country music" guitars are also high strung, as well. This entails replacing the low strings with some tuned an octave higher.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-10-29 23:45
Jason, when you said "I have noticed on many blues and rock CD's the tuning is usualy a semi tone down fom concert pitch, ...." are you sure that it was not done by the recording studio to "fit" a piece in a bit of timing on the record/CD? It used to be fairly standard practice in the old vinyl recording days to do this. Used to drive me bonkers as I usually found myself between tones.
Bob A
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
