Even so, it is important to avoid getting into the habit of using an electronic tuner to tune the whole band. It is often a good idea to ask an inexperienced player whether he thinks he is playing flat or sharp relative to the first chair. See the 'instant chorale" in the intonation section or another exercise that helps check for tuning and intonation. As in the case of exercise #2, the goal is to raise awareness of the problem while training both the ears and the embouchure. This should then be followed by united sectional practice. In this case, a brief record should be kept about which notes the student habitually plays flat or sharp. Once this can be done successfully, students should be encouraged to work in pairs, with one playing the studies and the other holding the tuner in such a way that the performer is unable to see the LED indicator. The notes should be played very slowly, with the student paying close attention to the tuner to ensure that each interval is played accurately. Use them during individual and sectional practice. The following studies, transposed to an appropriately comfortable register for each instrument in the ensemble are designed to address this issue. Once again, it is possible to turn to the electronic tuner for salvation. I am convinced that at least part of problem lies in the fact that many young players are unable to play in tune with themselves, let alone adjust their pitch to match that of others. Many band directors express frustration when, having (1) painstakingly tuned the band on a single note or chord and (2) ensured that each player is capable of holding a note at a steady pitch, the ensemble promptly reverts to its old habits when asked to play even the simplest of melodies. It is this: the amount of air employed determines the volume, while the speed of the air determines the pitch. Thus the music director is provided with a valuable opportunity to point out an important principle that applies to both brass and woodwinds. In essence, this is a test of the ability of the player to distinguish between the quantity of air being used and the speed of the air-stream. Having developed the skill of playing long notes at steady pitches, the students then move on to using the tuner to help them deal with the problem of maintaining accurate intonation when playing at varying dynamic levels in the middle register as indicated below: It (1) raises awareness of the problem, (2) encourages the sort of fine embouchure control necessary to manipulate subtle pitch variations, and (3) results in a much more sensitive ear. This exercise works well on at least three levels. The aim, of course, is to ensure that the needle (and therefore the pitch) remains as steady as possible. The players take turns playing long tones in the middle register while watching the needle or LED indicator on an electronic tuner. Try this during sectional practice The following exercise is best done during sectional practice. Told during a rehearsal that they are out of tune, many players tend to assume (often mistakenly) that they are too flat rather than too sharp. The human ear is more tolerant of sharpness in pitch than flatness. To some readers the whole procedure may seem excessively elementary, but the fact remains that even experienced players sometimes need to be reminded what “too sharp” and “too flat” really mean. In both cases, band members should be asked to listen for the subtle beating that indicates that the standing waves in two instruments are out of phase. The procedure is then repeated, this time with the band director lipping down to imitate the sound of an instrument that is playing too flat. After entering at the correct pitch, he lips up slightly to produce a mildly discordant sound. The band director then joins in on his own instrument. The student holds a sustained concert F (G on the second line of the treble clef for the cornet). The band director announces that he will imitate an instrument that is playing too sharp. The demonstration itself proceeds as follows. Band members should be asked to listen for the subtle beating that indicates that the standing waves are out of phase.
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