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Re: Cornets and their triggers

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Cornets and their triggers
From: Charles Turner <ccchas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 10:37:23 -0600 (CST)
In-reply-to: <1msz3AAi4dFzEwJy@davidm.demon.co.uk>
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Thu, 27 Feb 1997, David Morris wrote:

>>My daughter is learning the Cornet.  She has just changed tutors and has
>>had conflicting instruction on when to use her triggers.

> When the note's out of tune. Typically bottom D and Csharp are sharp on
> most instruments, so you'll often see players yanking out the triggers
> for all they're worth when hitting these notes. 

> Isn't it the case that the slide positions on a 'bone get closer
> together the higher up the register you go ? As such, the tube lengths
> on a cornet must be a "best average", so triggers can be used to
> compensate, just like you do with your slide (and for what it's worth,
> exactly the same as a violinist does as the fingerings get closer
> together the higher you play on a particular string). 

The intonation problems with valved horns occur when valves are used in
combination. The notes that are played on the open horn, or with any *one*
valve down can, by using the tuning slides, be put into good tune. 

However, when more than one valve is used the pitch becomes sharp, and
the 'longer' the valve combination (eg. 2-3, 1-3, 1-2-3) the sharper it
gets.

So the tuning slides have to be set for a compromise between the valve
combinations sounding too sharp, and the open and one valve notes sounding
too flat. It isn't possible for the tuning slides to put the horn into
perfect tune for all valve combinations! 

It's the player's responsibility to take a note from this mechanical
approximation to the exact pitch that is required by the music at any
given instant. I wish someone would have told me this fact when I was
learning to play, because I struggled mightly with intonation, thinking
that the tuning slides were the only way to accomplish tuning, and
being frustrated about never playing very well in tune. 

These necessary but usually small pitch adjustments are done simply by
bending the note with the embouchure. In fact, a strong player doesn't
think of it as bending per se. Rather they hear in their mind the *exact*
pitch that is needed and simply make their chops buzz that, irrespective
of whether or not the horn wants to center there.

For fingerings like 1-3 and 1-2-3 that can be very sharp, so far out that
bending them back using the chops alone is uncomfortable, the tuning
trigger(s) come(s) into play.

My feeling is that good physical conditioning of the embouchure is
required for good intonation. When the chops are tired, or when one isn't
playing/practicing enough to keep in shape, the horn will play you so to
speak, and pull the pitch off to wherever *it* wants to center.

I would hope that teachers of young students do more than just teach
fingerings; they need also to teach *listening* for good intonation.

Charles Turner
ccchas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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References:
- Re: Cornets and their triggers
  - From: David Morris

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