![]() ![]() If the intervals are absolutely adhered to, the bottom C string of the cello will be wildly out of tune with the violin E strings. This method too requires certain adjustments, probably most noticeable within a string quartet. When absolutely in tune, thirds and sixths will produce an audible overtone. When intervals are out of tune you will hear a beating sound that will speed up or slow down as the intonation is adjusted. Intervals/double stopped notes that are really in tune have no beats. This acoustic phenomenon enhances the sound of the violin, making it ring. Thirds and sixths will have a ‘third tone,’ a tone underneath the played notes. The Pythagorean theory of intervals creates a situation where open fifths and octaves sound correct, but in a scale built solely on Pythagoras’ ratios, intervals such as thirds and sixths might sound ‘out of tune.’ In just intonation, the ratio of the third and sixth is adjusted. There are two other systems of tuning common on the violin – just intonation and expressive intonation. The sound will not ring with sympathetic vibrations. With the four strings of the violin tuned to equal temperament, the instrument will be in tune with the piano but its acoustic properties will be compromised. Only the octaves will be pure, and you will most definitely match the piano.” Major thirds and minor sixths will be slightly too wide to get a third tone, minor thirds and major sixths slightly too narrow. Fifths and fourths will be slightly too small to ring. Half-steps will seem lazy, especially at fast tempos. Sharps will seem low, flats will seem high, and in general intervals will not be expressive enough. The sound will be bland intervals will seem indistinguishable and lack personality. The problem with this system for violinists is that it does not take advantage of the acoustical properties of the instrument. Its development in the 16 th century made the progress of western classical music possible. This system is ideal for keyboards, atonal music and modulation. In equal temperament the octave is divided into 12 equal half-steps or semitones. This system uses the octave, a frequency with a 2:1 ratio, discovered by Pythagoras in around 530 B.C.E. The system of tuning most in use today is called equal temperament. Professional musicians must have finely tuned ears and accurate fingers, so that they can adapt to the intonation system being used by the players with whom they are playing but true artists must understand functional harmony as well, at times choosing to shade a note up or down to create a certain tension or relaxation.” “Good intonation is both an acoustic reality, with notes “agreeing” (i.e., creating overtones or undertones) with other notes being sounded simultaneously, and a kind of societal compromise, with musicians and audiences growing accustomed to and agreeing upon a certain delineation of pitches. In her blog, The Ideal Violinist, concert violinist and Associate Professor at Boston University College of Fine Arts, Bayla Keyes writes: ![]() Tuning each of the four strings with a tuner would do no significant harm, but although you might consider this would make the violin perfectly in tune, it in fact will not be in tune with itself. Using a tuner, it is easy to settle the violin at a desired pitch, whether that be A440, A442 or otherwise. A violin tuner – there are many models that clip onto the instrument – a digital tuning device or a tuning app from the app store is useful for tuning the strings of the violin, predominantly the A string. The dilemma of good intonation has many students reaching for the chromatic tuner, but the idea of practising with a tuner raises heated debate among students and teachers. It can take time to develop the ear and some people initially really struggle to trust whether or not they are playing in tune. The ideal is for the student to be able to hear whether the intonation is good. Paradoxically, many teachers use this visual aid without explaining its temporary status, then have to implore their students not to watch the fingers. Beginners often start learning with stickers over the fingerboard to help with finger placement, but these marker points are generally approximate and can slide around if the glue softens, and the practise of looking at the fingers while playing can impede music reading and impact on posture. Violin intonation is one aspect of playing that is challenging for players of every level. Intonation and Using a Violin Tuner as a Practice AidĪ common question asked by non-violinists is, “How do you know where to play the notes when you have no frets?” ![]()
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