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Quartet Tuning...

1728 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Agent27
Why do some players insist in tuning to a concert A in a sax quartet when there are many other notes to choose from (apart from open C# or upper D)?

I prefer to tune with all the players playing written G :line2: regardless of size as it's a stable note and we can tune to the intervals, and the fact any adjustments can be done easily as it leaves the right hand free to do adjust the mouthpiece (though saxes are only in tune with themselves with a certain amount of cork showing - the rest is done with the chops).

But even in some big bands some sax players insist on a concert A being given to tune to, when a Bb is much better as all the brass can tune much easier to their unstopped concert Bb than a stopped A.

Though in quartet playing everyone should be listening to each other anyway, and making adjustments as they go along to get the intervals and chords in tune with their chops - rather than tuning up to one note at the beginning and then carrying on with the belief they're still in tune at the end.
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bezozzi said:
I was told, I think it was this past summer, it's generally a good idea to tune everyone to a low (written) F. I think the reasoning behind this was it's a natural overtone of Bb, so if you can get that note in tune, and get the intervals in the quartet tuned, then generally the horn will set better for everyone.

We tune multiple times before we start quartet (A, Ab, Bb, Eb) and then we always start with a chorale to listen around to eachother.
FYI, low F is not a natural overtone of low Bb. Middle and high F are, but the low one is not.
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