Posted by Klaus on May 08, 2001 at 19:31:33:
In Reply to: Intonation Problems posted by Dan Mordhorst on May 08, 2001 at 18:21:06:
A very tricky question you come up with here. My dislike for that particular model has been stated earlier, so I will try to get the best out of it for you:
If an instrument has a weird intonation, one has to find out whether there is a pattern, before one starts cutting slides. Else one easily ends up only to have moved the problems to other notes.
The 4th finger flat being that much flat surprises me. What about the 4th finger F a fifth below?
My first procedure would be to find out which open note is best in tune with most other notes on that instrument, and then evaluate the situation from there. I have a B&H Imperial Brit style baritone, where the tuning Bb is a bit sharp compared to the rest of the notes. Realising that made it easier for me to get a better overall tuning and intonation.
For me the best tuning note (on Bb instruments) in band contexts generally is the 2nd partial low Bb. In a very good brass band I played in, the conductor found out that the Eb alto horn section achieved the best overall tuning, if they were tuned together on their 5th partial (written E).
There might be other reasons for the problems:
Are you sure that there are no dead sparrows or mice (or even valve oil bottles) in the bottom bow?
And have you played that instrument long and intensely enough to tell the real nature of its intonation problems?
A celloplaying collegue once told me, that he did not feel secure in intonation, if he not at any time could get the minor seconds right when playing scales in all keys.
The inspiration to such daily practising of all major scales in my full compass improved my intonation (and any other aspect) of my trombone playing, as it now does on euph and tuba. Change regularly between the cleanest staccato and the smoothest legato. You will discover the problem about doing this exercise in your full compass is that it stretches your compass, so that you will have to do even more scalaing. (You might reckon that an unpleasant sideeffect. I do not).
Pick a favourite slow tune, which does not modulate too much. No chromatics either. Play it in an easy key in your favourite range. Get the intonation as good as possible. Then play that tune a semitone lower (by ear of course). And then go on down playing it lower in semitone increments as low, as you can.
Are you finished then? Of course not!. Return to your original key, and redo the whole process, only now you ascend playing that tune in semitone increments as high as you can. Aside of intonation it is allowed to consider aspects like sound and phrasing. Even varied dynamics.
If you after having gone seriously through these suggested procedures on a daily basis through a six months period (of course after thorough daily flexibility warm-ups) still have intonation problems on that instrument, then call in the hacksaws!
And you most likely will know, what they should do!
Another long elaboration on the old saying, that most problems are on the player’s side of the mouthpiece.
And Dan: I am a confessed equipment freak myself. Only it took years of work to learn what I really wanted.
Klaus