However his procedure emerged organically because of a combination of reasons. In short, the oboe has become the standard instrument to give the tuning pitch because of the developmental history of the orchestra, the unique timbre and range of the oboe, and the non-existence of tuning slides on the oboe.
The modern orchestra as we know it got its roots accompanying opera and ballet. Nationalist styles arose in Italy, Germany and France, but it was in France that the oboe was treated as a star.
The oboe, or hautboy as it was known at the time, became a staple wind instrument for both ceremonial court music and the national ballet. To learn more about the development of the oboe click here. Johan Juaquim Quatz, the famous German flautist and pedagogue of the Baroque era, included a small section on oboe playing in his treatise for flute instruction.
However, the oboe was not yet used to tune the orchestra. The Baroque and early Classical tuning systems were distinct from city to city. Each tuning system was anchored to the keyboards organs and harpsichords of the region, and the string and wind players had to accommodate for pitch. Eventually, tuning systems began to shift to well-tempered and then equal-tempered tuning, and the baroque continuo keyboard with bass discontinued its role and participation in the symphonic literature.
The pitch A was initially chosen for tuning because all of the string instruments had an open A string. Interestingly, this seems to have been the procedure even as bassoons clarinets, horns, trumpets, and trombones became regular members of the symphonic orchestra.
At some point, probably due to cost and time, tuning occured on stage. While the orchestra is still warming up play a couple of practice tuning As to make sure everything is working right. Make sure you have a tuner that will pick up your sound even when there is a lot of ambient noise like there will be before the concert.
My favorite tuner is the Korg TM60Bk but some phone apps also work great. To check out the current price on amazon click here. At some point the concert master will stand to start the rehearsal and ask for a few notes to tune the orchestra by section make sure to start soft enough in case any adjustments are needed. Then crescendo so the orchestra knows that you have settled on the pitch and they are free to tune.
For concerts, the house lights will darken and the stage lights will brighten. The concert master will then walk out and signal for you to give the previously agreed number of tuning pitches.
After this, the string players, all at the same time, should tune their remaining strings as quickly as possible, while the wind instruments play the various notes of the D major chord. As soon as I give a sign, tuning is over, and everyone should remain quietly in his place.
Other options included taking the pitch from the harpsichord or organ, but the difference in temperaments: strings tuning in pure fifths, and keyboards tuning in equal temperaments, proved to be problematic or from one of the winds, as the variance in temperature and humidity impacted wind pitches wildly: but which one? Many instruments were considered for this role, including oboe, flute, horn, and trumpet. The narrow wiggle room for woodwind tuning led orchestras to buy all their wind instruments from a single maker as they would be consistent and be in tune within the set , and often, travelling players had to result in transposition.
For a brief reference: the present scholastic research postulates that woodwinds in 18 th th century surrounded the A as we know it:. But looking at the wild range for the tuning A, even from the narrow range of , the A still is on the move:. The oboe is particularly limited in its means of adjustment- the only pitch adjustment comes from moving the reed slightly in or out. String instruments have pegs to adjust tensions on strings, and the Brass has movable valves.
Clarinets can often adjust the length of their barrel; so, the orchestra adjusts to the oboe the bassoon is also a double-reed instrument, but as it sits lower, and harder to tune to it.
However, different reeds can shift the centre pitch, so the oboe is actually quite versatile, should the player have other reeds available.
In addition, the players themselves can physically adjust, and they do have alternative fingerings available for intonation. The oboe, with its rich harmonics in the upper range, has a timbre than can project above the orchestra: so why not tune to the harp or even glockenspiel? The glockenspiel, being made of metal, is one of the most constant and audible of instruments like the older tuning fork. Tradition: the oboe was incorporated to the orchestra quite early.
Most symphonic pieces include an oboe or two. And their seating location right in the middle , makes them easy to hear for the whole orchestra. In fact, as many musicians tune with portable electronic tuners well before the oboe note, it is debatable whether such a ritual holds any practical value.
Want more updates on classical music and opera news and reviews? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for all the latest. The revenue we earn by the advertisements is used to manage this website. Please whitelist our website in your adblocking plugin. Toronto Montreal. Pitch Standard The concept of pitch standard involves a few different things: audio frequency, note-name and standard.
For instance, the local tuning pitch of the principal oboe: A , refers to two separate concepts: 1. We mostly set this particular A A4 at Hz meaning it oscillates times in a second. The two explanations are the complete opposites of one another. Nearly all instruments have always been unstable in terms of pitch because of differences in heat, humidity, and the like. Typically, the instruments come with mechanisms that allow performers to tune them.
However, because of its structure, the oboe's pitch can only be changed by removing and inserting reeds. It is not possible to change how high-pitched the tones are the way that can be done by removing a clarinet's barrel or altering the tension of a violin's strings. The only way of altering the pitch of an oboe is to adjust the breadth or length of the reeds; it is nearly impossible to make any sudden changes on the day of a performance.
It is difficult to adjust the pitch of an oboe. Therefore, it would appear that the other instruments in a performance must be made to match, and that is the explanation of why the oboe is the standard for tuning. Musical Instrument Guide.
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