INTONATION - What is Music Intonation and "Playing In Tune?" - Music Theory Topic | Katy Adelson
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2020
- How "perfect" does intonation need to be? Here is a video discussing some of the complexities and subtle differences behind the idea of "playing in tune." There are a lot of different intonation theories that exist to make this concept much more complex than it may seem to most music listeners. It is a more advanced music topic to discuss, but I think it's useful to know about regardless of your current playing level as a musician, or even if you do not play music but enjoy listening to it. It is something that I find super interesting yet difficult, and one that I've started to explore with my own music.
In this video, I mention three types of intonation theories:
Equidistant Intonation, often called "Tempered Tuning," or "Tempered Intonation," sometimes called "Chromatic tuning," which is where each note is a perceived equal tonality distance from each note above and below with octaves being in tune.
Just Intonation, which is where notes forming chords create equal ratio numbers (e.g. 3:2). This creates a very pleasant-sounding chord, but it is often considered impractical to play with this kind of intonation because each note's position relies heavily on the key signature of the music.
Pythagorean Intonation, which is when you tune in fifths while marching around the circle of fifths. This creates perfect fifths, but octaves are not in tune. Relative to tempered intonation and using a 440 A, tuning in fifths causes the notes to become flatter as you tune to lower notes, or sharper as you tune to higher notes.
As I've made my backing tracks for my music (they force me to play in "tempered tuning"), I've started to have a difficult time knowing what correctly sounds in-tune. It's gotten to a point where playing chords following something more closely to the "just intonation" theory sounds more in-tune while I play the violin (I think the violin resonates differently, and it sounds more correct with the instrument right under my ear), yet I think the the tempered-tuned chords sound better when I listen to my music from a 3rd-person perspective. It's very strange. I think that this is a topic that a lot of musicians struggle with at some point....
Sources:
Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas "Fire and Grace" album:
UA-cam Playlist: • Calliope Meets Frank
Available @ the Culburnie Records Store: www.culburnie.com/albums/Alasd...
Science behind sound waves:
www.nasa.gov/specials/X59/sci...
www.britannica.com/science/so...
hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/...
International Organization for Standardization of the 440 A:
www.iso.org/standard/3601.html
Tuning Fork Pitches throughout history:
books.google.com/books?id=2ud...
Equal Temperament Intonation:
www.sfu.ca/sonic-studio-webda...
Just Intonation:
www.sfu.ca/sonic-studio-webda...
www.britannica.com/art/just-i...
Pythagorean Intonation:
www.sfu.ca/sonic-studio-webda...
Commas in music:
www.britannica.com/art/comma-...
Comparing Intonation Scales:
pages.mtu.edu/~suits/scales.html
www.sfu.ca/sonic-studio-webda...
www.britannica.com/art/tuning...
Consonance and Dissonance in Music:
www.britannica.com/art/conson...
Noise-canceling sound waves image:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_...
Thank you for watching, and I hope you have a good rest of the week! =)
~ Katy
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www.goldenaspenmusic.com
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www.katyadelson.com
Download/stream my "Tune Collection" album:
fanlink.to/TuneCollection
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fanlink.to/GhostShip
Hashtags:
#MusicTheory #Intonation #Violin #Fiddle #KatyAdelson #Music #PlayingInTune
Software and equipment used:
Full list of all my basic violin equipment:
www.katyadelson.com/about/viol...
Violin gear:
Violin: 1899 Ernst Kreusler “Copy of Antonius Stradivarius” violin from Germany
Bow: CodaBow Luma
Strings: Evah Pirazzi Violin Strings (with a ball E)
Rosin: Salchow Rosin
Shoulder Rest: Bonmusica Shoulder Rest
Software used (for Macintosh):
Final Cut Pro for video editing
PicMonkey.com for the ending cards
Camera:
Canon 70D + 18-135 mm kit lens
Sony RX100 V
Let's all take a moment and appreciate nice hairstyle.
and Cristal eyes 😍😍😍😍
The equal tempered scale is the best compromise, you can't have perfect thirds, fourths, fifths or sixths within one octave, if you tried the octave note would be way out, i'm sure it's not even possible. I used to be a piano tuner (retired) we listen for the harmonic along with the fundamental note, listening to that interference beat that you mentioned. Tuning the fourths and fifths in the centre octave just a fraction of a beat out of tune so that semitones are equal, making it possible to play in any key. You did a great job explaining a complicated subject Katy.
I'm an amateur violinist struggling with intonation and it never ceases to amaze me how violinists in an orchestra all hit exactly the same note at the same time, to me that is very clever.
Looking forward to your next tune Katy, I've gained a lot of inspiration from your playing, many thanks.
Great video Katy, you explained it very clearly! I long for the day when intonation won't be a daily struggle anymore... I'm in my third year of playing the violin and my ears still have a long way to go.
More the hand position and minor things (pressure of the bow and left fingers, amplitude and "centering" of vibrato) that counts than the ear alone. Because the ear only listens to note, which is made by the fingers, and a still hand play mostly in tune. So, despite what my friends and colleagues said, I dont have a "bad ear", much less I am tone deaf or anything. It is a matter of how the fingers move, the lesser the movement more it will be acurate.
Thank you, Katy! Ive been studying intonation for over 60 years and STILL dont fully understand! I play all instruments and especially strings intonation, has baffled to no end. You explained this topic extremely well! This was the first time to put this question to the internet, FINALLY! Bless you and your musical talent. Bud.
Wow. I started playing violin about 3 months ago and so ive been binging youtube violin videos and I gotta say, its obvious that you Definately know your stuff and provide Alot more useful informarion than the other guys.
Thank you for a beautiful presentation, you made intonation an interesting topic.
Katy, you have broadened my perception of intonation. Thanks for that. :)
Thank you Katie for sharing this information....
Really enjoyed this. So interesting. I’ve been playing for about two years and I remember the first few months were intonation chaos. Finally my teacher said I shouldn’t follow the piano notes and I started to get on the right track with just intonation as you call it.
Great to see something new from you Katy. I only discovered you about a month ago and I've really been enjoying your videos. Thanks for doing what you do.
Professor Katy! A most interesting video and always a pleasure to see you and listen to you...talking or playing
...and why I stay with the guitar and it's frets...I'm not "tone-deaf", but I do rely on my electronic tuner. I know when something is out...but can't always otherwise put my finger on it
Thank you Katy for yet another wonderful video! Excellent explanation of intonation. You a so very fun to watch; your enthusiasm is captivating. (And your eyes are amazing!). Keep up the good work! 😘😘
Duh, bro!??
Wow! This just randomly popped up in my feed ... really solid content, but your presentation is so charming that even though I was already familiar with the concepts, I couldn't stop watching. I could imagine hanging out with you in a cafe and talking about music all day! Never stop!
This is a fantastic video! There are truths beyond music that are buried treasure in what you are sharing!!
You are doing great explaining these scientific theories!! I am learning how you present them even though I might know a lot more!!!
Really good video and fun to listen to! Interesting topic! Thanks for great content!
Great info. Thank you.
Really really good video about a subject that I've been obsessed with for a long time. Thank you!
Also, your hair looks nice.
That is all.
Wow your eyes! Keep up the good work. I love it!
I love this style of video! I'm a science nerd so this is all fascinating.
😃👍This is an amazing video. Tnx.🧡💛🧡💛🧡💛🧡
The problem is most of music or voice coaches dont really talk about the little details like this & when they wanna teach someone who doesnt know anything in music they teach like ur a professional or smth u know!
Great presentation. I think you covered all the main bases.
Love all!
very informative- thank you
You pitched this just right, but never mind the theory. Your playing is delightful whatever intonation you are using. For myself, I notice I have to adjust how I would play solo or with just other string players as against/with(?) other fixed pitch players as in an orchestra or pub session. Keep fiddling.
you know its missing Cooley's Reel from your channel right? love you! please record more irish fiddles with a great
landscape :D
Very well done and simplified Katy!
Wow!, you covered many topics in about 30 minutes. Very well presented.
For me personally, sometimes "simple" is hard to grasp if there are many details.
If I may explain, the BOSS Guitar Tuner uses a scale graduated in cents to measure pitch accuracy.
If the "needle" is "dead center" the string is in tune. You will hear a beep also.
Thanks for this great explanation. I am a long time guitar player playing a number of your arrangements on Mandolin and trying to learn the Violin. Having frets does make life easier not having any intonation worries.
By the way I like your hair with the curls and the bangs.... Looks good on you..
Makes me miss playing the violin. Starting in 2010 I took lessons for about two and a half years then learned and practiced off and on myself. I got so picky about my intonation that I wasn’t having fun anymore. But I really do think intonation is a fascinating topic. I got a keyboard to keep music in my life and have actually really improved upon the things I learned from violin just like I did when I traded in my trumpet for a violin. On the violin things like scales made so much more sense than it did in band/marching band. This video really put the whole intonation thing into a better perspective so thank you 😊
Stop taking lessons and HEAR what you want to play!
Thank you.
Katy. Nice day dear. Your "caireles" are cute. Thanks for your videos. I learn with them a lot.
You're awesome :)
I take it you have a background in science?
Love your talent!
Very interesting video! I do wonder tho which E/B/A whichever note to use when checking intonation with one of the other open strings :x
Thanks a lot for this video, I'm practicing the melodious double stops by Trott with my teacher and I was wondering why my notes sometimes are out of tune while they are in tune when moving from a different string :)
Thank you so much for this video. I became intrigued about just intonation after learning about Norwegian folk fiddles tunes, especially Hardanger tunes. Also my own interest in music from India and Japan brought me down the same path. I found a wonderful book on the topic which I will add a link to at the bottom The gist of what I have learned is that by going to the tempered scale, our Western music lost much of the "color" shadings of the scale notes but increased our chordal harmony possibilities. Other ethnic just tunings though (as in India) have many more notes at their disposal in a given scale (microtones as we label them) and have also increased complexity of rhythms in their music. Also, many ethnic musics that use just intonation tend to form their melodies around a "core home note" and (often signified by a drone sound) and create the melodic excitement we find in chords by straying in and out of "harmony" from that tonal center. I do wish Western teachers would introduce these ideas of intonation in the clear and concise and passionate way that you just have. there is a wonderful world of scales and tunings to feast our ears upon and I often find it sad that we tend to think of them as sounding "out of tune" or primitive to our equal tempered ears. This video is an important addition to the musical education and it is wonderful you took the time to explain all these intricacies as best as possible. Here is the link to the book i mentioned via Amazon:www.amazon.com/Music-Power-Sound-Influence-Consciousness/dp/0892813369 Thank you again!!
This is a great video Katy and you explained the subject so well. If you are playing with a band, or in a session or with a single guitarist, would you tune to match an electronic tuner, or by fifths?
Hello, I really admire you very much I hope to play someday like you
Katy, what pattern fiddle are you using? Mine is an exact copy of the Guarneri del Gesu " Il Cannone". I was just being curious. 🥰 😍😘
On the topic of sound waves, here’s an interesting fact: sound waves travel faster in water than in the air. One would think that it would stand to reason the opposite would be true, but it’s not.
Relating this to music, the water level in a particular glass will affect the pitch of a note’s sound.
In regards to intonation as a soloist, I just like to play with feeling, phrasing, vibrato, and all that good stuff - regardless of the instrument that I'm playing. 😉 🎻 🎺 🎷🎸 ♫ et al
and even faster through wood :)
and yet faster through metal
Hi Katy, I wanna ask, is it important to play with a metronome? Sorry for asking such a silly question but I intend to buy the real metronome so I need to know if it is worth to have one. Thanks in advance. 🙏🏻
As an ear Cape Breton player intonations in the ear! You have to hear it. I immediately hear s flated seventh or a passing tone. You grow up with it. In my case it is cultural.
Intonation is perfection to a glass ear......
What is intonation?
Something that I don't have.
Thanks for the video.
By the way, which part is your natural hair?
Beautifulll Eyes
Certain keys sound better with different intonation. Like C sounds better with E slightly flat. Before perfect intonation was created, people wouldn’t use keys like E much.
No sound in a vacuum? You haven't heard MY vacuum, have you? 🤣😜
440 may be "concert" pitch however 444 is the healing or Gods pitch. I have heard that you can even in some cases have spontaneous cellular regeneration at that pitch.
And you are very beautiful!
And sweet
Your eyes are beautiful.
Your so beautiful!
hi there, i am a violin player. i played my violin in camden, and covent garden, and scotland royal mile. it happened. before covid us and eu vaccinated tourists in the uk.
Jesus Christ and the Almighty... impressed. I don't understand half of the half of the quarter of the fragment of the millimeter of the nanometer of the (wtf?)%E¤"=?).... oh oh oh... my brain hurts....
can intonation be taught ...