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Tuning/Intonation (was keep things right between Sop and Rep)

Graham Young made some interesting comments about tuning and intonation and
whilst I agree with much of what he said I would like reply on some points.

Firstly - using a tuner and setting the level of the 'tuning note' is merely
the baseline. I would compare it to the annual vehicle check required in the
UK for vehicles that are over three years old. This test is only good at the
time of the test. Something may fail during the next month and it is not
valid to state it was checked a month ago. Too many accept that once tuned it
will remain that way and will not carry out their own checks. Fortunately
these failures are not usually life threatening whereas in a vehicle it may
be.

Secondly - intonation was once described to me as being like someone who has
a problem with body odour. The person may not realise that they have a
problem but quite often their best friend doesn't know how to tell them. If
they are informed of the problem in an inappropriate way the result may be
devastating and very demoralising. The same can be true of a person with
intonation problems. Positive and constructive help is what is needed. Many
times the snide remarks and insulting gestures have only succeeded in
encouraging the player to leave the band. Noting that recruiting and
retaining a full band is not easy surely there is a need to encourage players
to stay and help them improve.

Thirdly - Musical Directors quite often take a lot of stick (pun intended!)
in discussions on this list. It has been shown that the average person can
only absorb so much information in a give period of time. Therefore when
there are such things as:

    a) overall shape of the piece
    b) tuning
    c) intonation
    d) rhythmic problems and conflicts
    e) balance
    f) notation (length and style)
    g) ensemble playing

Musical Directors may focus on one or two aspects at a time to allow all the
various aspects to be absorbed. Once established in the mind to ability to
recall items should become easier and reference only need be made to an
aspect that is not quite right. As many bands rehearse only once a week the
amount of instruction lost is quite high. How many times has it occurred that
the conductor has remarked that a point raised at the previous rehearsal has
ben forgotten.

Finally - I hope that the remark about sensitive players was in jest. IMHO
music is primarily an art form and not a science. Emotion is a vital aspect
in music and that is not just that of anger and tantrums. It would be a sad
day when they that would play music by mathematical exactitude and insist on
the absolute appliance of the physics of harmonics rule the roost.

Incidentally I only have an old Seiko tuner. May I be allowed a handicap of
say only 5 paces?

A Happy, Prosperous and Successful New Year to everyone and I hope to see
many interesting topics appearing during 2000 (provided my PC clock rolls
over satisfactorily into 2000!)

Ted Howard


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