Tuning Practice

Strobe or Bell Practice (3% of grade) - The first step to playing in tune is to hold a steady pitch. Practicing with a strobe allows a student to see how steady the pitch is. The students were asked to practice at least 15 minutes with a strobe before the end of the third week of the quarter. Although they were encouraged to practice all the notes (high and low, loud and soft) they were specifically asked to practice the notes they were going to tested on that quarter (See Playing Tests). The goal was to hold a steady pitch.

The percussionists were asked to practice at least 15 minutes on any of the mallet instruments.

Tuner or Timpani Practice (3% of grade) - The second and third steps to playing in tune are to recognize and eliminate beats (the pulsing sound heard when two notes are not in tune). Practicing with a tuner which produces the sound of each note is one way to learn to recognize beats and to eliminate them. The students were asked to practice at least 15 minutes with a tuner before the end of the sixth week of the quarter. Again, they were encouraged to practice all the notes (high and low, loud and soft) but they were specifically asked to practice the notes they would be tested on that quarter (See Playing Tests). The goal was to hear the beats and eliminate them.

The percussionists were asked to practice at least 15 minutes on the timpani.

Pair Practice (2% of grade) - The next step in learning to play in tune is to practice with someone else. Although practicing with someone playing any instrument can be beneficial, practicing with like instruments is more helpful at this point. If two clarinets can sound like one instrument the chance of the entire section being in tune is much higher. If each section can play in tune, the chance of the entire band being in tune is likewise increased. The students were asked to practice at least 15 minutes in pairs before the end of the ninth week. The goal was to sound like one.