Tuning is a matter of PLAYING IN TUNE, not one of getting all the slides exactly so-so. It is a matter of listening and harmonizing and getting intervals correct. Orchestras, bands, and choirs perform more nearly in just intonation than in equal-tempered intonation, except when pushed into equal-temperament by a piano or organ or other fixed pitch instrument. And, as you know, a piano in perfect equal-temperament is equally out-of-tune all over the instrument. The laws of physics and the natural harmony of overtones with the fundamental just do not cooperate with the art of musical instrument playing. A good player can play in tune in any standard type of temperament. You must LISTEN to what you play and relate it to what's going on in the context of the piece.
[I feel I must inject a word or two in support of Randy Gardner's concept of spending a lot of time with an electronic tuner. The whole idea is one of matching tones and of being able to bend pitches to specific tones. Before the day of mini electronic tuners I spent hours and hours with my foot on the sostenuto pedal of a piano playing scales, apreggios, and single note attacks to be accompanied with strong sympathetic support from those pitches on the piano, and matching piano pitches.] For most horns, such as the Geyer wraps, Schmidt wraps, and most Kruspe wraps, it is better to tune the Bb side of the horn first. This is because your ONLY adjustment to the open Bb horn is the main tuning slide. (You do NOT have a Bb only tuning slide.) Then, tune the F side with the F only slide (or slides in the case of all Conns and most other double horns) to match the Bb-F open tones. One of the best rationales I know for tuning a double horn can be found in The HORN CALL, Vol. III, NO. 2, Spring, 1974, pages 35-39. The article is "TUNING THE DOUBLE HORN, A Practical Approach" by Stephen L. Seiffert. It is a fine article, well thought out, and eminently practical; it works! Even so, or with any tuning system you develop, the horn will have out of tun e notes that must be bent to pitch. You must learn the tendency notes on your horn and how to correct them, and the slide position is less important than your ability to adjust pitches AS YOU PLAY THEM. If you choose to play a fingering that is innately sharp you must be able to get it down to the place it belongs, and vice versa. These notes can often be played with alternate fingerings which reduce the degree of correction that is essential. In short, the standard double horn is a chromatic collection of open natural horns from the key of low B natural up to Bb alto. All of the idiosyncracies of the flat third overtone, the ambivalent seventh overtone, and the oddities of the upper partials are all there for you to learn about and learn to deal with them. If you don't sing, it may not be too late to begin for you. That's why it so essential to learn to sing your horn! Many horn teachers expound on the "singing" nature of horn playing; and they are successful in this approach. For example, I mention the recent posthumous publication by Marvin Howe, "The Advancing Hornist" subtitled as: "Volume I: The Singing Hornist." There is a definite vocal tint to all excellent horn playing. It should be obvious to all of us just from listening to fine horn players; their instruments "Sing"! CORdially, Mansur's Answers _______________________________________________ Horn mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://music.memphis.edu/mailman/listinfo/horn
