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Re: Playing In Tune -- Or Not?

Author: Wes
Date: 2013-12-12 21:50

There is little excuse for the cellist to be low in pitch. Cellists should always tune their open strings before the rehearsal and they should normally stay there for a while. If one of the top three strings on a cello is too low, the normal cellist can easily and simply play that open string note on the next lowest string. First finger in fourth position is very easy to find. For the bottom C string being low, the cellist can finger low C hard up against the nut to bring it up to pitch.

A442 is a common center pitch for flutes these days as a marketing situation, allowing the flutes to be sold all over the world easily. It is very easy to play these flutes at A440 with no problem. Flutists in amateur groups often play the third register very sharp because they have not been taught the proper embouchure, how to play in tune up there, and that they should use a tuner to check up there. The flute teachers rarely mention it, often because they do not play in tune up there either. Conductors don't always detect sharp flutists because the pitch range is much higher than many other instruments.

An oboist cannot be expected to follow the flutists pitch as they rise in going up the scale or to go way flat to match an out of tune cello. With a stable reed, the oboe is challenged enough to get in the ballpark of A440.

More than once, I've heard from conductors "Oboe out of tune!" when the clarinetist failed to change instruments from Bb to A, which shows that the conductor does not have perfect hearing.

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