PURPOSE OF THIS WEBSITE
This website, www.brassintonation.weebly.com, is intended to help middle school and high school brass players understand the pitch tendencies of their instruments, and to provide them with some solutions and exercises to address these issues and achieve good intonation.
Directors can also use this site to understand brass pitch tendencies and provide resources for their students.
Directors can also use this site to understand brass pitch tendencies and provide resources for their students.
Navigating This Website
On each instrument's home page, you will find:
On the "Pitch Tendencies and Remedies" page for each instrument, you will find:
On the “Intonation Exercises" page for each instrument, you will find:
On the “Chorale Exercises" page for each instrument, you will find:
Suggested Listening Page
To navigate to each instrument's page, hover over the "Instruments" tab in the navigation menu (top of page), and click on an instrument in the drop down menu. Before getting started, visit the page below to learn more about general intonation concepts.
- Tuning procedures.
- Stable tuning notes for ensemble and individual playing.
- Warm-up and embouchure exercises.
- Factors affecting pitch (handout available for download).
On the "Pitch Tendencies and Remedies" page for each instrument, you will find:
- Pitch Tendencies Chart.
- Alternate fingerings, slide positions, hand position, and voicings to help with intonation.
On the “Intonation Exercises" page for each instrument, you will find:
- Description of Equal Temperament and Just Intonation, along with a video demonstrating the difference and how to use the Tonal Energy app to tune with these two tuning systems.
- Exercises to practice Just Intonation. Play-along tracks provided.
- Chord progressions to practice the concept of Just Intonation. Four-part writing provided for each instrument. This will allow students to practice their individual intonation over common chord progressions.
- Instrumentation lists are provided to help students select parts. Play along tracks provided.
On the “Chorale Exercises" page for each instrument, you will find:
- Two chorales based off of musical excerpts to allow practical application of all the material presented. Play-along tracks are provided and music is available for download.
Suggested Listening Page
- Examples of ensembles with impeccable intonation.
To navigate to each instrument's page, hover over the "Instruments" tab in the navigation menu (top of page), and click on an instrument in the drop down menu. Before getting started, visit the page below to learn more about general intonation concepts.