Excellent intonation,
consistently focused and accurate, is one of the foundations of
good string playing. Unfortunately, intonation continues to plague
many musicians despite hours of slow practicing, daily scales and
arpeggios, and endless repetitions of problem notes. In addition
to wasting time, many string players inadvertently reinforce problems
because of the way they practice.
A common practice method
involves repeating problematic notes or measures many times, expecting
that each repetition will improve the intonation. The problem with
this method is that these inaccurate repetitions form pathways in
the brain that record the inaccurate intonation. As a result, during
a performance, it is possible (if not probable) that your brain
will instruct you to play out of tune. Choosing to stop during practice
to play a problem note several times, hoping the repetitions will
fix the intonation, usually fixes the problem only temporarily.
Practicing slowly is a valuable technique, but can be time-consuming
and might not completely fix the problem. How can you practice intonation
so the problems remain fixed?
Hear Thyself
Intonation work is most
effective when it is part of a daily regimen. This regimen is individual,
but needs to contain three elements: objective self-criticism to
identify the problems, determining the reasons for the problems
(by asking specific questions), and practicing that's designed to
permanently fix problems.
Unlike scales, arpeggios,
and slow practicing, which work on several aspects of playing, an
intonation regimen focuses only on intonation. According to neuroscientists
studying motor skills, if you work on several skills simultaneously,
you do not retain what you learned as well as if you focus on one
skill at a time. So, focusing solely on intonation during part of
your daily practice is the best way to improve it.
For your work, a good
quality recording device (tape recorder or CD-RW) is important.
Listening to a recording of your playing is the best way to objectively
hear yourself and identify mistakes. Like many musicians, you probably
avoid hearing recordings of your playing. You would never get dressed
for a concert without looking in a mirror, so why would you play
in public without hearing how you really sound?
In addition to investing
in a recording device, take the time to make multiple copies of
the music you're working on. Using these working copies keeps your
original music from becoming cluttered with pencil marks, which
can be distracting during a performance. These copies also create
a record of your intonation work, so you can see patterns of intonation
mistakes, see continuing problems, and chart your progress.
Begin your intonation
work by recording one passage of music, no more than 32 measures
long. Put down your instrument (to rest your hands and arms) and
listen to your recording. As you listen, mark each intonation problem
on a clean working copy. Using arrows above the note—up for
sharp, down for flat, "U" for unclear—is an easy
way to mark the music. (Write the date on this copy to help keep
a record of when you practiced this passage.) If you do not have
a recording device, listen to your playing as if you were hearing
someone else play across the room. While this is an excellent way
to listen as you practice, it is very difficult to remember where
each mistake occurred and how the note was out of tune.
For this step in your
intonation work, you want to be as self-critical and objective as
possible, so you can identify all mistakes.
Break It Down
The next step is analysis.
For each mistake, create an excerpt beginning at least four notes
before the out-of-tune note. Play your excerpt once or twice (no
more) and ask yourself the following questions:
Where is the problem
created? Is the problem the out-of-tune note only, or does a shift
or string crossing preceding the note create the problem? A mistake
is often the result of an earlier technical problem. Noticing what
feels awkward, when you feel tense, or when you hold your breath
will help you decide where the problem occurs.
What is the intonation
problem? Is the note sharp, flat, or unfocused? Of course, your
working copy shows these answers.
Is there a pattern?
You might notice that a shift to third position precedes intonation
mistakes. Once you recognize this pattern, you can work on learning
the correct shift distance, then practice those shifts within your
music. This is a very efficient way to practice. In addition, knowing
a pattern helps you avoid repeating a similar mistake.
Why, specifically, is
the problem happening? Recognizing that a shift is causing your
problem is a good beginning. Not feeling the distance of the shift,
not being able to shift fast enough, or not hearing the landing
note within the harmony, is more specific information. This information
will help you know how to practice to fix the problem.
How should you practice
this excerpt to fix the technical problem? Here are some examples:
If the problem is not knowing the distance of a shift, so you land
too flat or go too sharp, you need to teach your body to feel the
shift distance. Practice the shift up and down using different rhythms.
Also, practice going above or below where you want, then play the
correct shift distance. It can also be helpful to play an arpeggio
that contains that shift, or to play all the half-steps within the
shift. Rather than repeating one way of practicing many times, try
to find new ways to practice the same problem. If the problem is
not fixed after a few repetitions, you need to find a different
way to practice. You do not want to reinforce the mistake or develop
a repetitive-stress or repetitive-motion injury.
Getting Feedback
Once you feel comfortable
with the excerpt, work on the next intonation problem. After you've
finished practicing each intonation excerpt, play through the entire
passage. Finish your work by playing the passage slowly to help
reinforce what you learned.
An electronic tuner
is sometimes used during intonation work. Most people use a tuner
by stopping on a note and looking at the tuner. This method trains
your eyes to see, but doesn't train your ears to hear. To use a
tuner, close your eyes and play (at tempo) up to the note in question,
then hold the note. Decide if it is sharp or flat, then look at
the tuner to verify what you hear. This method will give you feedback
on your ability to hear intonation. Of course, you still need to
decide why the note was out of tune.
Finally, make a conscious
habit of practicing easily, without tension or loud intense playing,
during all of your intonation work. Consciously playing without
force or tension will help prevent repetitive-motion injuries (a
universal problem for string players). Loud practicing, especially
for violin and viola players whose instrument is close to their
ears, contributes to hearing loss.
The self-criticism,
analysis of technical problems, and specific and varied practicing
in this intonation regimen will improve your ability to hear intonation
and to fix technical problems. The focus, objective listening, and
thoughtfulness you develop may extend to all of your practicing,
improving other areas of your playing
