Hi Jim, Perhaps that's why brass and woodwind players go around complaining all the time that the strings play sharp. The reason brass don't do it is because on a semi regular basis you play sensa vibrato. String players simply don't do this unless it is indicated in the score. Even the baroque groups use a mild vibrato. At 08:31 PM 4/25/02 -0600, you wrote: >Bradley, I'm a Brass player and you seem very informed on this topic, so tell me >why brass choirs (and WWs) generally temper their chords (ie. flatten the 3rds >in major triads, etc.) to near beatless especially when playing sustained, >vibratoless passages? We don't have the same issues you mentioned that strings >have. Isn't comparing pianos and their peculiarities to other groups irrelevant >as far as temperaments go? When mixing the two, the instuments that can tune "on >the fly" so to speak, will by necessity match the fixed instruments (ie. paino). >My interest in this stems from others talking about different temperaments used >with strings such as various well-tempered and not so well-tempered scales. >Susan K. said no string player would ever play a beatless 3rd except by >ineptness ... Is that true? Then, why do brass do it? Listen to horn sections of >any fine orchestra, as well as other brass, and you hear beatless chords. Also, >what about that barbershop quartet that "locks on" (meaning beatless)to a chord? >If strings don't do it why do other groups? I don't believe temperaments are as >relevant to other instruments as they are to fixed pitch instruments. There is >much more going with brass as it is a continual adjustment of every note to >match what's going on in the ensemble. What do you say? Thanks. >Jim Busby. > > > Regards, Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.M.T., R.P.T. mailto:pianotuna@accesscomm.ca http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/ 3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK S4S 5G7 306-352-3620 or 1-888-29t-uner
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