Tuning in an Orchestra
What is actually happening when the oboe gives the A, and what to do about it: a free card on orchestra tuning, from the order of events to the chord rule, with the C major chord and the beating itself both drawn.
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Download the PDFWhat is on the card
Why the oboe decides, and why the tuner then goes in the pocket. Warming the instrument before the A. The chord rule: the root is fixed by the bass, the fifth sits a whisker high, and the major third leans down until the beating stops, about a seventh of a semitone below what a tuner would show. Which way dynamics drag the pitch, and why clarinets famously go the other way. What the hall does to everyone over an evening, and one habit each for woodwind, brass and strings. And what beating actually is, drawn and explained, with a two-minute drone drill to build the ear.
Related
This card pairs with the free practice guide for your instrument — all twelve are on the Guides hub — and with the other reference cards on the Cards hub.
Chord tuning only makes sense with a chord around you. On MaestroMeet you play your part with the score scrolling in front of you and the rest of the orchestra around you, so what this card teaches has something real to land on. MaestroMeet is opening soon — join the waitlist to be among the first to play.
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