Tuning whole sound

[David Renaud]

Ron

   Good topic/discussion here. Good comments. I have
some reflections to contribute to what you wrote as
follows.......

Specifically on......you wrote....
------------------------------------------------
Beatless octaves?  They simply don't exist......  
With my former experience as a bassoonist, this comes
as second nature.  Then I thought about the octave. 
Wind players can match octaves without any tests, why 
can't/don't we?
----------------------------------------------
I am about to propose they can exist for winds, 
and winds can, but piano can not.

I am wondering if you have thought about &
incorporated it into your thinking on this subject
the following.......

  I am also wind player, and do perform with
professional orchestras from time to time. Have you
ever tried reading harmonic content of your bassoon
with tunelab. I would really like to know how a
bassoon would read. When I analyze my clarinet tone, 
sharpness of the first 12 partials read something like
0,0,-1,0,0,1,0,0,0,0... very unlike a piano. The
vibrating air has practically no inertia to force the
harmonics sharp.

  Good wind players, in theory, really can tune
perfect unsons, octaves, & fifths. A principle wind
player in a professional Orchestra who (knowing none
on this piano theory stuff) simply says he does not
like performing chamber music with piano, much
preferring working with other winds/strings because
the pitch of every piano he has ever played with feels
strange/wrong. 

  String instruments with thin string also have very
low need for stretch. Harpsichords require almost no
stretch, things just line up. Acoustic bass does have
sharper harmonics.....and the whole orchestra does
actually stretch a bit...but not much. 

  In short, whole sounds are much more realistic for
wind players.

  Little footnote to this.  Thirds  in orchestras are
very very flexible, and are placed wherever lead
players & conductor negotiate.
I have sat under several conductors that keep asking
thirds on tonic sounds to be lower, lower, lower, and
thirds on leading tones higher, higher, higher.. hug
that tonic. This creates greater kaleidescope effect
in music.Greater tension and greater release to calm.
I add this little fact to the ET debates. Namely; that
all that orchestra music on film scores etc. that we  
are exposed to is not in equal temperament; it is in
no particular temperament at all but in an organic 
living temperament that is changing from context to 
context,  molded as required for harmonic function and
style. I wonder if those that might argue ET is the
only valid way realize that much of what they listen
to
in orchestral film score is not ET.
      

 
                          Cheers
                          Dave Renaud










 

 










      












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