Tuners who don't play

Avery Todd ATodd@UH.EDU
Wed, 23 Oct 1996 00:29:13 -0500


Jim,

>  I don't know if playing makes a tuner a happier tuner, but I do know that
>teaching a player to tune just enough to smooth out unisons, and temperament
>basics, usually makes for a very unhappy player. When this person starts
>listening to the individual notes of his music rather than the music itself
>they have lost something of their ability to enjoy their own music.  How
>about some of the 'players' commenting on this ?
>Jim Bryant (FL)

   One person made the comment that he could turn off his tuner's ear when
listening to a concert and another said that listening to a concert which
he
had tuned for was one of worst experiences of his life (or something like
that).
   I guess I, personally, fall somewhere in the middle. When I'm listening to
a  concert for which I've tuned, I'm OK unless I hear a note go out, or a
voicing problem that I didn't correct (or have time to correct). Then I can
get pretty miserable during the concert.
   When I'm playing I can pretty much "tune it out", so to speak, and
concentrate on what I'm playing. To me, it's easier to "tune out" when I'm
playing than when I'm listening. Maybe other players are that way too. I
know I'm very glad when a pianist can re-tune a new string I've had to put
on. Especially when they live 20-30 minutes away. :-) I have a teacher like
that.
   It's way too late for me to still be working and trying to think
coherently but I have to tonight, so I hope what I've said makes "some"
sense.

Avery

_____________________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4893
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
_____________________________________






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