Guitar players, did you check out yesterday’s video tutorial about how to tune your guitar? Once you have that skill mastered, you can progress to learning songs and great techniques as you move on to bigger and better things.
For the guitar, the strategy behind tuning the instrument is pretty simple once you have the hang of it. But what about other musicians? For brass and woodwind players, for example, other factors – like your breath support and embouchure – come into play. And no matter how good your technique is, playing out of tune can get in the way of all of your hard work.
Read on for some great tips for playing in tune from Brass Musician magazine:
Embouchure
Playing on a steady embouchure is basic for proper tuning across the board. If you are not properly warmed up, your tuning may be thrown off as your lips find each note. As you warm up, your tuning will also change, so be sure to play through that point before a gig or rehearsal. An overtired embouchure will go flat, or start on point and tail off at the ends of notes. There is no quick cure for this, simply work on stamina during practice and take breaks when you can. You can also try exercises that deliberately change your embouchure, such as bending notes down and up again – this trains your lips to find the pitch first with your embouchure, rather than adjusting the instrument to find proper tuning.
Breath Support
Effective breathing can fix many playing problems before they start. Well-supported notes are necessary before tuning your instrument can even begin. Notes without proper breath support will affect your embouchure, and will bring down the pitch of notes you play.
Dynamics
While tuning, try playing notes at all volumes, and take note of how the pitch is affected by the dynamic changes. These changes are tied closely with breath support – players often confuse playing quietly with weak breath support.
Use Your Ears
Lastly, and most importantly, any musician must learn to hear the notes they are playing to assess their tuning. Every instrument and every player is different; the only thing that must be consistent is your hearing! Ear-training is essential for mastering this skill.
What tips have you learned to help you play in tune? Share with the TakeLessons community by leaving a comment below, or joining the conversation on Facebook!
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Suzy S.