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Pitch is a B🤬!

Improving Ensemble Woodwind Intonation

IMEC | 1.28.22

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Why intonation?

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Challenges

Time/rehearsal pacing

Young tone quality

Equipment

Technical ability

Musical/aural ability

Wide ability range

Instrumentation/balance

Setup/acoustics

Insecurity/self-consciousness

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Quotes

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Panelists

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FLUTE | Amanda Pond

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Preparation and Alignment

Check headjoint cork position using cleaning rod; position effects total length of tube. Longer tube=lower pitch, Shorter tube=higher pitch

Pitch is significantly affected by instrument temperature. Warm flute silently with air, and use right hand for foot joint during rests, stabilizing pitch.

Push in/pull out headjoint

Consistent headjoint alignment key to consistent pitch. Realign after pulling in/pushing out.

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Flexibility and Tendencies

C#5 has almost a whole step of flexibility

C4-C5 less flexible, generally flat

C5-D6 flexibility variable,depends on flute, C#5 and D5, often sharp

Eb6-C7, somewhat flexible, sharp, Eb6 and Ab6 especially sharp

Pitch can be altered 3 main ways:

Air speed/direction
Sound focus/control/mouth shape
Alternate fingerings

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Air Speed and Direction

Raise the pitch (Flutist moves, not the flute)

Cover less of the embouchure hole
Smaller opening between lips
Faster air speed
Higher air direction (bottom lip forward)

Lower the pitch

Cover more of the embouchure hole
Bigger opening between lips
Slower air speed
Lower air direction (bottom lip back)

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Sound Focus and Alternate Fingerings

Spread, “airy” sound, (product of overblowing) = sharp

Over focused, covered, or under-supported sound = flat

Altering headjoint alignment and tone work can help both

Good alternate fingerings available for C#5 and much of third octave, particularly for lowering pitch.

James J. Pellerite: A Modern Guide to Fingerings for the Flute

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OBOE | Evan Tammen

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Crowing the Reed

The oboe is a C instrument - your reed must match

We can play different notes on the reed, but we cannot change the crow’s pitch

“Mary Had a Little Lamb” example

Crowing demonstration and explanation

The crow shows us where your pitch center lies naturally

B crow = flat; C# crow = sharp

Avoid the temptation to play on a low-crowing, “darker” reed

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Ensemble Tuning

The oboe is entirely conical and has no cylindrical portions

Seemingly minute changes at the tip of the cone have huge intervallic effects

Pitch correction is accomplished only through embouchure adjustment, switching reeds, or scraping/clipping reeds

Shortening a reed raises pitch; scraping on the tip or heart/tip blend lowers pitch

Reeds should be soaked in water; under-soaked reeds will be too closed and sharp and over-soaked reeds will be too open and flat

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Pitch Tendencies

Every oboe is different, but there are a few universal pitch tendencies

The low register trends flat and half-hole D through F 5 trend sharp

G 4 and G 5 are usually quite low

If your oboe has a third octave key, the short fingerings for E-flat 6 and above will vary greatly in terms of pitch - when possible, long fingerings are always preferred

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Alternate Fingerings

Your right-hand low E and low D keys can be added to cover the sound of C 5

First octave F-sharp (F-sharp 5) is unstable - adding the low B key can fix that

Adding the low C key while playing high C (C 6) can improve stability and cut brightness

The “Philly D” can allow high D (D 6) to speak more easily, eliminating the temptation to bite/pinch

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CLARINET | David Cook

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Dynamics and Intonation

Inverse relationship

As dynamic decreases (softer), pitch rises
As dynamic increases (louder), pitch falls

More problematic when with other instruments with opposite tendencies:

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Intonation of the Twelfth

Clarinet overblows at the twelfth, not the octave

Wide at the ends of the chalumeau and clarion registers
Narrow in middle of the registers

When pulling out or pushing in, must consider the impact on both registers

e.g. pulling out at the barrel to lower the high clarion register will further lower the chalumeau register

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Intonation of the Twelfth

Clarion

Chalumeau

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Altissimo Register

Many issues caused by incorrect fingerings

Altissimo D and higher require RH pinky to depress the E-flat key, raising the pitch

Extreme flatness with proper fingerings points to:

Improper tongue position (too low)
Insufficient air support (too slow)

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BASSOON | Claire Taylor

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Reeds: Tip Opening

Ideal: ~1-1.5mm�
Effects:

Increase opening: lower pitch
Decrease opening: raise pitch�

Process:
Soak well (~5 min) in room temp water
If top wire is loose after soaking, tighten it
To open: Wire 1 sides, Wire 2 top/bottom
To close: Wire 1 top/bottom, Wire 2 sides

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Reeds: Length

Too long: flat overall, “sagging” C#3/E3

Clip tip ~1mm

Too short: sharp overall, “wild” notes

Get new reed

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Bocals

The higher the number, the longer the bocal�
If student is flat: reduce number �
If student is sharp: increase number�
Wild on several notes: new bocal�
Fox = best “cheap” bocal ~$250

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Pitch Tendencies

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Embouchure & Air Support

If student is sharp: relax embouchure�
If student is flat: more air�
C3 exercise: helps with both issues

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Fingerings

Have a good chart �
Don’t let them leave out the extra keys

Ex: G3:

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SAXOPHONE | Perry Rask

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Embouchure

Mouthpiece should produce:

Alto —concert A (G# on mpc & neck)
Tenor—concert G on mouthpiece (E on mpc & neck)
Baritone—concert D or D# on mouthpiece
Soprano—concert C or C# on mouthpiece�

Determine if too tight or too loose

Tightness in embouchure or throat = sharpness
Vice versa
Air is everything!!!

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Compensating Design

Know the tendencies of ALL saxophones�
Compensating instrument

8va divided into three sections with two 8va vents
Problem notes at beginning and end of �each division

Middle D = sharp
High A = sharp

Lower octave tends flat

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Equipment

Everything in moderation�
Mouthpiece with medium facing�
Medium strength reed�
Well-adjusted instrument

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Pitch in Altissimo

We lose our high hearing first�
Practice the “feel” along with perceived pitch

What we hear as in tune is often sharp
Memorize note placement

Embouchure
Tongue
Throat
Support

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Drones

Use them! Tuning device or friend.
Start with notes in the overtone series

Roots/4ths/5ths over the full range

Drone on root of piece/etude, then 5th
Slow major/minor scales over tonic drone

Root, fifth, third (for minor)

Listen for resulting tones

Buzz/rattle on P4

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Tuners

Train EARS, not eyes

Listen, then look�

OK to use w/ clip-on mic in rehearsal

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Vibrato

Produced by jaw
Too wide

Flabby sound
Distorted/flat pitch

Too narrow/none

Embouchure too tight/biting
Thin sound
Sharp pitch

When in doubt, add AIR

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Tone

Good tone helps good pitch!�
Hard to play in tune with bad tone�
In tone → In tune

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ENSEMBLE | Corey Seapy

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Tuning Procedure

LISTEN - internalize the reference pitch

PLAY - without adjusting or sustaining

COMPARE - intensely focused ears

ADJUST - strive for perfection

STOP - as soon as you’re satisfied

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Rehearsal Techniques

LISTEN - for pitch discrepancies

PLAY - identify, isolate, sustain

COMPARE - sharp, flat, or both?

ADJUST - musical and/or technical advice

CONTINUE - agree, mark part, zoom out

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