Arto Wikla <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > What Jon wrote was "your ear is the best tuning device". I could not > agree more!
well, I have been a performer in vocal groups, on the lute, and with woodwinds; in all cases in ensemble. Vocal groups that perform with instruments are always at odds with the temperament of the instrument; when singing acapella it is the unconcious and natural practice of most good groups to tune their accords in an unequal temperament, hopefully making the hall 'ring'. In many cases one or more of those singing bass will have a different 'inner' pitch, or perhaps is physically tired, the result is gradually sagging pitch; often ending as much as a full tone down from the starting pitch. Consider the guitar player in casual (or even in formal) performance, much time is spent retuning, the more the key is changed the more the tendency to retune; often the strings were fine, its the players desire for an unequal temperament that prompts the need to change it. When a small orchestra includes strings it seems that those most ready to play are those who use machines to do it. Perhaps only because they can take advantage of headphones and contact mics to tune 'out' the ambient noise. As to micro tones, yes, the human performer can and does play using them, but generally in context, and with limits. Limits that are not precise enough for tuning. I beleive the average human has difficulty distinguishing between tones 10-20 cents apart in the vicinity of middle- c, it may be different in other ranges, I am not familiar with the literature on this, just one of the odd factoids I recall from a life of interest in technical trivia. I do know it matches up with my personal experience; well, some of the time anyway. Turns out I have what I consider to be an odd form of perfect pitch, after some study/rehearsal of a particular piece (recording/ensemble) I develop an internal memory of it that includes pitch. When I have all the little grey cells functioning I can bring that memory up and get pitch from it. However, when I am doing that I am useing comparative pitch, producing an internalized difference tone to make whatever corrections are needed in the tone I am/willbe playing/singing. Again, I think a lot depends on how one defines 'best'. Sometimes ones instinct proves 'wrong'. -- dana emery To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
