 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2006-08-15 21:31
There have been a few threads about using a tuner pick-up in an ensemble as a way to isolate one's sound when tuning with a tuner. I would like to suggest another use that will assist in training the ear to hear intonation.
A tuner pick-up is an inexpensive device that gently clips on to the bell or other convenient place on your instrument and plugs into the input jack of most tuners. It picks up the sound you are making without interference from outside sources. I know of two brands: Matrix MPU-2 and Arion ARC80.
If you have a sound source with a constant pitch, like a second tuner, another player, or a tuning CD, you can play a variety of pitches and compare your pitch with both your ears and with the tuner display. If you are playing the same pitch (a unison) then it is easy to hear the beats between the two notes and bring your pitch in tune to stop the beats. For other intervals it is helpful to get a visual reference in order to tune to a pure interval.
For example, the interval of a 5th (like a C and a G), a pure interval between the two requires the higher note (G) to be ever so slightly higher than the tuner requires at it's equal tempered scale. +2 cents to be exact.
For a pure major third (C and E), the higher note needs to be lower than the equal tempered note on the tuner (-14 cents) For minor thirds (C and Eb), the higher note needs to be higher (+16 cents). On my inexpensive Korg CA-30 there are even marks on the display to show where you should be to get pure major and minor thirds.
Although it is difficult to use these tunings in larger ensembles even if you do want pure sounding chords, it is great training for the ear to be listening so carefully. The tuner and tuner pick-up are a visual aid for that ear training, but you still have to trust your ear when it comes to intonation.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: d-oboe
Date: 2006-08-20 11:29
I did have a somewhat bad experience playing next to a flute player who used one of those clip-on self-tuning devices. It seemed as they were more interested in finding the tuning balance on the machine than in the ensemble.
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Author: oboemoboe
Date: 2006-08-20 20:00
''...flute player who used one of those clip-on self tunin devices''
Yeah. same here. And it was bad. The flute player was careful to play right on pitch, but the rest of the orchestra was now slightly sharper than the original pitch. So it got really hard to tune... Bad experience!
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2006-08-21 00:09
>>It seemed as they were more interested in finding the tuning balance on the machine than in the ensemble.<<
Well said, and an important point.
Those of you who were around here last winter probably remember hearing about my experience with an ensemble where all the woodwinds played with tuners (turned on) on their stands, the better to ingratiate themselves with a director who was more-than-mildly obsessed with tuning.
And if, perchance, one was perceived as being out of tune, the director's wife would come around and thrust HER tuner in the offender's face. Subtle hint, no?
I do think there is a point to tuning the ensemble to a standard pitch now and then, largely for the educational value of knowing where one's own pitch tendencies and perceptions lie. But a far more important exercise is the development of the ear and the sense of ensemble, which is something that no amount of staring down a tuner will create.
My current favorite director has us LISTEN consciously to each other on selected passages (most likely passages which he has identified as problematic). Just having such a passage called to the attention of the group and specifically rehearsed goes a long, long way toward improved intonation as well as awareness of balance and blend and musical line -- much more so than could be achieved by 40 people outfitted with pick-up tuners clipped to their bells paying attention only to their own sound.
Susan
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Author: d-oboe
Date: 2006-08-21 00:45
One of my teachers called it "backing off". In woodwind ensemble (5 players) he would ask us to just "relax into" the tuning, and not pre-adjust anything, even if it felt weird. Just to play the musical line as pure and solid as possible. I have never played so DEAD IN TUNE with other players in my life...
D
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2006-08-21 17:18
Yes, I agree with the comments about using a tuner in an ensemble.
Here is an except of my tuning book for clarinets from the Frequently Asked Questions section:
Q. With my tuner and a tuner pick-up I could play in an ensemble with the tuner on all the time and always be right. Good idea, isn’t it?
A: Well, you might be correct, but probably not right. Remember these things: 1) When playing in an ensemble we adjust the pitch to match a pure tuning of the chord. This may not be the Equal Tempered scale of the tuning machine. 2) The amount of warm-up of instruments and the performance space temperature makes a lot of difference in the general pitch of the ensemble. 3) Different instruments have different tuning response to changes in temperature and volume. 4) Not everyone has as good an ear as you have developed by using this method. 5) Even with a trained ear for pure intervals, we have to understand that in real music performance the theory of tuning and practical “getting along” sometimes clash. Playing in tune is both a science and an attitude.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: latestarter
Date: 2006-08-30 11:06
Korg do a nicely made contact mic. Mine came with my tuner and has a good long lead. You can buy them separately for about £9.
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