Pitch,Temper,Tuning,Flat,Sharp,In,Out..

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 26 Apr 2005 8:48 pm

Donny; you practice and play your steel AGAINST/WITH a fixed tone. You play single notes; harmony notes; triad chords and color chords; all against that single fixed tone. This is a practice technique to better ones Ear for improving intonation. You will also learn to become that flexible that you spoke of, when playing along with other instruments. That will carry on to the eventual icing on the cake that you speak of. I'm talking about baking the cake.
Ricky[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 26 April 2005 at 09:51 PM.]

Michael Garnett · Post by **Michael Garnett** » 27 Apr 2005 12:39 am

Ricky-

Without a doubt, ear training and intonation excercises are a fundamental part of what we musicians do. But what are the chances that a 1K tone in our practice room becomes exactly translated to a pure 1K tone from any of the instruments on the bandstand?

I think Donny has a very valid point. How many of us consider ourselves to be steel players, but rarely play at the same time as other human beings? Intonation and ear training are vital, but, like he says, where the rubber hits the road is LIVE music. Or in a studio, you're semi-live at worst. You constantly have to adjust to a bass player who probably doesn't even own a tuner. That tele picker claims that when he bought his guitar it was in tune, and even though he's changed to different string gauges 3 times since, it still should be "close," because he hasn't touched the truss rod. These are our contemporaries, or coworkers. Simply saying, "Well, I know _I'M_ in tune, the rest of you must be out of tune," is irresponsible, because it is the job of the ensemble to achieve a good sound together. I see that as the cake itself, and the practice time is the pan you pour the batter in. Selling yourself as a live act. Selling CD's and getting it played on the radio. Isn't that why we became musicians to begin with? The "icing on the cake" should be all the chicks we pick up because we're in a band.

-Michael

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 27 Apr 2005 8:42 am

Yes Michael I agree; and that's why working with a fixed tone/pitch/note, will help you be able to make those adjustments quicker to whoever your playing along with.
Ricky

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 27 Apr 2005 10:34 am

If I practice with Band-In-A-Box rhythm tracks, just about anything I play sounds in tune. I think it's because equal temperament is so bland that the ear will accomodate almost any expressive pitch in that context.

On the bandstand it's a different story. A fretless bass, an acoustic rhythm guitar, a harmonica and a string-bending Telecaster make playing in tune a real challenge. The tonal center isn't nearly so predictable.

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David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 27 Apr 2005 11:04 am

What do you-all see as the whisk you beat the egg whites with?

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 27 Apr 2005 11:39 am

What do you-all see as the whisk you beat the egg whites with?

Tele pickers, apparently.

Al Vescovo · Post by **Al Vescovo** » 28 Apr 2005 9:23 am

Personally, I tune with either the Bass or the Keyboard, hopefully a Piano. Otherwise everyone tunes with the oboe. In the USA pitch is set at A:440, in Europe at present A is set at 442, so in Japan they accommadate by tuning to A:441. That's what I was told my last tour in Japan. So,in other words , "When in Rome,tune like the Romans"