intonation

PiccoloShorty · Post by **PiccoloShorty** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:55 pm

hello! this week our band is having music camp (where we learn the music, not marching) and a lot of the freshmen are having intonation problems and nothing seems to help them. do you have any suggestions on ways they can improve their intonation?
thanks

pied_piper · Post by **pied_piper** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:34 pm

Listen and practice! Use of a tuner can help train the ear with visual indicators, but it should not be used as a crutch or substitute for hearing the correct intonation - use it to help learn to compare what is heard with the visual indicators.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:11 pm

I teach band camps over the summer [and make great money doing so

], so I deal with this problem a lot. What I have found to be the biggest help, is to really focus on tone quality and air support. Not only does your intonation improve, everything improves. A better, and more in tune tone projects further on the field.

So, as far as excercizes go, I recommend doing some Moyse or Trevor Wye studies in sectionals. Playing scales in rounds really helps as well. I would also make sure that everyone's instrument is in good adjustment [no leaks], because that can affect things too. OH, and doing breath building excercizes. Example: breath in for 4 counts, out for for counts. In for 4, out for 2, in for 1 out for 1, in for 1, out for 4,6,8,12, etc. etc.

PiccoloShorty · Post by **PiccoloShorty** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:26 am

ok thanks
our band instructor tells us to roll in and out while play to help as well, does this really help and should they do that? if not are there other things to do?

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:01 pm

I have heard varying opinions on rolling in and out. That is a common band dir suggestion, but for me, I don't think it is effective. I try to teach students to control intonation with support and embouchure. I'm not saying it does not work or that it's bad, it's just not something that I personally endorse.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 9:11 pm

fluttiegurl wrote:I have heard varying opinions on rolling in and out. That is a common band dir suggestion, but for me, I don't think it is effective. I try to teach students to control intonation with support and embouchure. I'm not saying it does not work or that it's bad, it's just not something that I personally endorse.

Ditto. I personally think that a lot of intonation control is finding your "sweet spot" when it comes to flute playing [in addition to support and embouchure control]. Some player play better with their headjoint rolled out slightly. Some players [like myself] sound/play better with the headjoint rolled in slightly. James Galway keeps his headjoint rolled REALLY far inward. It is all a matter of preferance. But rolling in and out while playing doesn't help that much in my opinion. It just seems to me that it would make your embouchure unstable.

BrightFlute · Post by **BrightFlute** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 5:19 am

fluteguy18 wrote:I personally think that a lot of intonation control is finding your "sweet spot" when it comes to flute playing [in addition to support and embouchure control]...........James Galway keeps his headjoint rolled REALLY far inward..........

My college flute prof of years back (Dr. Mary Karen Clardy, Denton, TX), had us adjust our headjoints farther back. Actually, once I adjusted to the odd feeling, I found my intonation WAS more stable with the headjoint rolled more back. Rolling back and forth never works!!! I TEACH flute now, and like fluteguy says, intonation is a combo of things, including breath support, apeture (lip) formation (size and shape), air speed (NOT blowing harder), and air angle hitting the embouchure plate that creates the sound, and controls intonation. I tell students to never rool in or out, OR blow harder or lighter to adjust intonation. Instead, they adjust their apeture "sweet spot" and air angle to tune!!!

Flute_star3 · Post by **Flute_star3** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:38 am

I hate to be contradictory, but I've found that not only rolling in and out helps a great deal for tuning, so does actually pulling the headjoint in and out from the socket also does a lot, but that's for extreme cases. I've found that when my headjoint is pushed all the way in my flute is utterly sharp, pulling it out flattens it to the correct pitch.

BrightFlute · Post by **BrightFlute** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:27 am

I guess I mis-stated what I actually meant. Sorry. Yes, rolling in and out DOES lower or raise the pitch. However, it changes the tamber of the tone. It's hard to describe. Also, if you are rolling back and forth, the flute won't be stable. When a flute is unstable, it makes fast passages more difficult. Also, many flutes have a tendency toward an airy sound on fast technical passages IF they tune by rolling in or out.

I hope that clears things up a bit!

PiccoloShorty · Post by **PiccoloShorty** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:22 am

my section leader in band tells us that we should try to frown when playing and that will help our intonation, does this really help

BrightFlute · Post by **BrightFlute** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:47 am

Hmmm...since when I frown, it's all in my forehead, unless my mouth twist funky, I bet your section leader frowns different from me. I KNOW many folk frown and most of it is in the mouth area. I would have to SEE how SHE frowns to know if that would help. My gut answer is HUH??? and No.

PiccoloShorty · Post by **PiccoloShorty** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:16 pm

she makes the corner of her lips go down and brings her top lip outward more

BrightFlute · Post by **BrightFlute** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:02 pm

That would help if you are trying to lower the pitch, or if you were playing the lower octave. I don't see how that would help the top octave, but again, without seeing and hearing...it's hard to say.

My advice...try it in front of a tuner!