[Trombone-l] Intonation

[Delbert Pakiser]

Great information!

The guys out on the west coast in "Bones West" have a great statement.
"WHERE'S 5TH POSITION?  BETWEEN YOUR EARS"  

Del


-----Original Message-----
From: trombone-l-bounces at maillists.samford.edu
[mailto:trombone-l-bounces at maillists.samford.edu] On Behalf Of Keith Marr
Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2007 9:46 AM
To: TROMBONE-L at server5.SAMFORD.EDU
Subject: [Trombone-l] Intonation

As the F attachment thread has migrated onto the subject of tuning I would
like to elaborate on what's already been said.

Intonation is not just a case of knowing the slide position to be in tune
with your colleagues, i.e. the position you use on the slide will not always
be the same for the same note.

Take for example, as I've noticed, the brass ensemble at the end of the
first movement of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony which I am playing for Saturday
(for those without the music that's the bit where the strings start playing
a pizzicato downward scale, quavers on the beat):

The 3rd trombone at bars 336-337 is the same as at 338-339, a bar of Es
(third space bass clef) to the F# above it. I have to play the second F#
slightly sharper than the first because of the change in the first trombone
and trumpet part. They come down from an E (top line tenor clef) to the D
first time and D to D# the second time. The second trombone goes from G
(second space tenor clef) to B both times and I would be interested to ask
the second player (we've not yet met) if they experience anything similar.

The section's done a little intonation practice from time to time and we
find that the third of the chord has to be sharper rising to it than
lowering to it (hope I've expressed that intelligibly). If you have a
section you play with regularly try playing triads and going from major to
minor and back again. Take it in turns to play the third of the chord and
play the first and second inversions as well. You will notice a small but
significant difference in the position on the slide that you use for the new
note each time.

I remember seeing some intonation studies for trombone sections (+tuba) and
using them on one occasion but I sadly can't remember who they were produced
and published by or I would buy them.

So playing in tune is probably the toughest thing we have to do in orchestra
playing, especially as even the quietest entry is so noticeable when you
playing with strings and woodwinds.

twopence worth

Cheers!

Keith in Bb/F/D
Bass Trombone
St Albans Symphony Orchestra
North Herts Big Band
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