Patric_Bernard

Well I used to think that I played in tune fairly well. Until I played the Holst in Eb, 1st and second movement last night with smart music. I noticed that a few of my notes are either very sharp or very flat, up to 20 cents at the worst (D above tuning C was about 20 flat) What are the best ways to fix this. Just a tuner and play it repetitivly until i play it in tune? or what are some of your guy's ideas.

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rowuk

Using a tuner to learn how to play in tune is like using a catheter to learn how to go to the toilet.
The intonation of every single musical tone is dependent on the context that it is being played in. To play in tune, you need ensemble work and functioning ears. The in tune frequency of an E will change for a C, E Major, F, G and A scale. A tuner uses the "well tempered" scale which is never really completely in tune but a good comprimise - for a piano.
To practice at home, we have often discussed playing over drones. You get a keyboard or computer to generate a low tone like a Bb and then you slowly play long tones over that. Thirds, 4ths and 5ths in tune are very obvious due to lack of "beats". Change the drone note and play other long tones and scales.
I have found this drone method to be the only practice room solo thing that really improves the power of the ear. Your ear is the ONLY thing that saves you when performing. The sooner your ear cooperates, the faster you play in tune.

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Patric_Bernard

Well I can listen and play change notes pitch with my chops very well. I have really good ears. I know exactly what your talking about, its just that I need to fix notes that are very very flat. I hit them flat and then lip them up. You had a very good idea which I will begin using to strengthen my ears as well

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bagmangood

One thing my teacher always suggests is to "hear" the pitch before you play it
This way you "lip it up" even before you play it. It can take some getting used to, I don't know if that really helps

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Patric_Bernard

Well thats how your supposed to play haha.. IF you dont hear the note in your head before you play it, who knows what your gonna play

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bigtiny

rowuk is correct. There are two parts to being able to consistently play in tune:

1) be able to tell that you are out of tune and to adjust

2) having the physical infrastructure to support #1

Playing over a machine generated drone is an excellent idea. How do we build the infrastructure? LONG TONES!!!!

bigtiny

Jimi Michiel

playing in tune is like being pregnant...

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rowuk

Not everyone knows why they are pregnant............
You can also get pregnant by accident............

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

B15M

Rowuk is correct but, I have a different take on it.

You have to learn to play in tune. You can probably hear the tuning one on one with another instrument, like a drone. Fitting in a chord is a little harder.

I think to get started working on the problem you need to think like a piano.
Use a tuner to see what notes play out of tune in the key of C.
this will give you tendencies. By that I mean, when playing in C you know before you start that D is going to be flat. Before you play the note you will think, "lip it up". You will know that F is Sharp and pull the slide before you play it.

Doing this will get you in the ballpark. From there you need to go to what was said above

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brem

We should just all play guitar...

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brem
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