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 The "tuning pyramid"?
Author: Mark Zmyewski 
Date:   2002-08-26 18:50

Hi, everyone.

I seem to remember someone back in my past mentioning a tuning pyramid.
It shows just who is at the top of the pyramid in an orchestra (the oboe, I'm
assuming) and who who be listening to the oboe, then who should be listening
to the people listening to the oboe, etc.

Does anyone know where I can find this? I don't care if it's in a book or
on the web.



-Mark Zmyewski

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 RE: The "tuning pyramid"?
Author: Sarah 
Date:   2002-08-26 20:46

Well, the tuning pyramid that I was taught had (for concert band) had low brass and low winds on the bottom, then mid range instruments, and on the top were the flutes and sometimes the clarinets. We listened down to the low winds and low brass. I have done this in other bands and have really noticed a difference (for the better) compared to when we listed to higher pitched instruments.

However, I don't know if this same is for orchestra.

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 RE: The "tuning pyramid"?
Author: Gordon (NZ) 
Date:   2002-08-26 22:17

It doesn't make much sense to me. If 'A' is tuning to B who is tuning to C who is tuning to D....... and each is slightly out, then the errors are compounded and player G may be well out with player A. (For this reason the top note of a piano is well out of tune with the bottom note; tuning compromise discrepancies are made all through the keyboard)

Tuning in a group situation surely entails ongoing adjustments to what ever sounds best with the particular group that is playing at any particular time. This may vary depending on the players involved, the instruments, the air temperature, the volume....

Sometimes in an amateur group I find I am out of tune. I lip up and it is worse. I lip down and it is worse. Therefore I am actually tuning at my best compromise, and the collective intonation will only improve if some other 'culprit' does some correcting.

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 RE: The "tuning pyramid"?
Author: Don Berger 
Date:   2002-08-27 21:48

IMHOO [opinion and observation] yes, for orch tuning, the oboe is it, "possibly" the least variable from 440 or 442 [depending on your orch's location] of available insts, not using a tuner! Of course, it was that everyone tuned above my oboe, thus leaving me flat, so I did pull a bit!! to compensate. Some of our band conductors, have tried an "inverted Pyramid tuning method" taking initial pitch from the basses-tubas, then up thru horns, tpts, cls and flutes. I find I seldom change my bass cl tuning neck setting, depending on ear-embouchure to tune to others. Comments?? Don

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