Hey everyone! When my book, Improving Intonation Skills Book 1: How to Practice with an Electronic Tuner, launched it was received well and I got some great feedback. There are a lot of you out there looking to improve your intonation skills, and the exercises in this book provide a solid, effective starting point. AndContinue reading “How to Practice with an Electronic Tuner”
Tag Archives: intonation
Advantages and Disadvantages of Improving Your Sense of Intonation
The other day I was thinking about the advantages of improving your sense of intonation, the ability to hear and respond to pitch fluctuations, and it occurred to me that there were also some disadvantages (yes, I said disadvantages) that go along with it. Here is my list of 5 advantages followed by my listContinue reading “Advantages and Disadvantages of Improving Your Sense of Intonation”
A Pitch Tendency Chart for You to Use
For everyone to whom I have preached about charting your pitch tendencies, use this link to get a downloadable pitch tendency chart for you to use or design your own around. Now you have no excuse for not creating your own pitch tendency chart! Remember to always use your best tone! Make sure the noteContinue reading “A Pitch Tendency Chart for You to Use”
Practicing Scales on Autopilot?
Are you practicing scales on autopilot? Perhaps you turn on the metronome and then tear through them as fast as you can to get them over with for the day. There’s nothing interesting about practicing scales after all, is there? If this is what you think, you are short-changing yourself. Practicing scales or anything elseContinue reading “Practicing Scales on Autopilot?”
Intonation Naivete; Be Kind to Your Listener’s Ears
When I was young and naïve, I liked to program unaccompanied pieces, because I thought that I didn’t have to pay as much attention to intonation. If there was no other instrument to compare my pitch to, nobody would notice if I was a little (or a lot!!) flat on the low notes orContinue reading “Intonation Naivete; Be Kind to Your Listener’s Ears”
Intonation in Action Exercise
In my mission to help people improve their intonation, I’ve had to come up with exercises that people can do in their own practice. Once I’ve convinced players that notes need to be adjusted according to their context in the music, regardless of what any tuner’s meter says, it helps to have exercises to backContinue reading “Intonation in Action Exercise”
Introducing Difference Tones to the Flute Choir
I am always looking for more effective ways to enable the flute choir that I conduct to play in tune. In the past I had used warmup exercises that focus on ensemble intonation, but at the beginning of this year’s rehearsal season, I tried to use sections of pieces to do the same thing. ThisContinue reading “Introducing Difference Tones to the Flute Choir”
Perfect Pitch not so Perfect?
For most of the musical world, the concept of perfect pitch is an almost magical thing. It’s something that you are supposedly born with, and can be a sign of musical genius. Musicians with perfect pitch are often envied by those without it. “If only I had perfect pitch, I would always be in tuneContinue reading “Perfect Pitch not so Perfect?”
Practical Intonation Practice Manifesto
Practical Intonation Practice Manifesto 1. Everything is a tone exercise. Always use the best tone production possible! Good intonation and good tone go hand in hand. 2. Don’t rush. Give yourself plenty of time to hear the sounds you are producing so you can determine if any changes need to be made. Pay attention toContinue reading “Practical Intonation Practice Manifesto”