T eaching Tuning to the String Orchestra:

Classroom Procedures for Beginning to Advanced

by Michael Alexander

Teaching string students to tune their instruments can be an arduous and slow
task. Nevertheless, the ability to tune accurately can provide a foundation for all
future skill development on the instrument. Intonation cannot be tasted, felt, or
smelled but it can be perceived on a number of different levels within the aural
context. One of our goals as string teachers must be to devise methodologies that
properly sequence those physical and aural skills needed to accurately tune the
instrument.
One tool that has seen many recent improvements in both size and application is
the strobe or visual clip-on tuner. Many fine directors encourage students to use these
devices to assist them in the tuning process. The results are always a well-tuned instru-
ment and thus an instrument that has a good chance of being played in tune. No one
can argue with this result. However, the student may then return to the ensemble and
play out of tune because he or she has relied on the visual aspects of the tuner instead
of developing his or her own aural skills. Harold Griswold (1988) wrote:
The visual reading of electronic tuners is fine as a first step. However, if
the tuning process stops here, there is the danger of electronic tuners diverting
students away from developing their aural skills just as electronic calculators can
distance students from the mental skills of adding, subtracting, and multiplying.
As math teachers have already discovered, the use of electronic calculators can
either strengthen or weaken students’ math skills-it all depends on how these
tools are used. The same can be said for using electronic tuners in music classes.
(p.51)1
Musicians throughout history have depended on the development of their aural
perception to improve their tuning. Strobe and clip-on tuners are useful tools to be
used in the tuning process, but not to the exclusion of aural development. This article
will focus on the development of the aural tuning process, rather than the visual.
In order for students to become better aural tuners they must first believe that being
in tune is important. Although there are many ways to raise a student’s tuning awareness,
the following three approaches reflect three different modes of understanding.

20 | American String Teacher | November 2008

Intonation as a Moral Premise
To a musician, the act of being in tune
transcends mere physical adjustment of
pitch; it is an ongoing quest to find one-
ness with those around us and with nature
itself. To be in tune is to reflect an inner
peace and a peace with those around us. It
has a quality of rightness. Rudy Volkman
(1996) stated it this way:
In the German language the word
truth translates as Wahrheit; but when
we express the fact that something is
true, we don’t say dass ist die Wah-
rheit or, ‘that is the truth,’ we say dass
stimmt –or, literally, ‘that’s in tune’. (p.
40)2
The act of being in tune shows us an
absolute, or truth. If we can impress upon
our students that being in tune is similar
to being truthful and that being out of
tune is being less than truthful, then we
have developed a concept that affects our
students’ awareness of tuning on a moral
or ethical basis.
Rule 1: “Almost in tune is still out of
tune.” – Conductor, George Dasch3
Intonation as a Function Of Physics
For those students with an interest in math
and science, intonation can be addressed
as it relates to physics. Sound waves have
many similarities to waves on the ocean;
they occur in regular intervals and are
flowing and continuous. The illustration
below is a visual representation of a typical
sound wave representing a single tone or
pitch:
Two pitches that are one octave apart
and perfectly in tune present sound waves
that appear to mirror each other. The ex-
ample below illustrates one octave with two
pitches perfectly synchronized with each
other and in tune, like waves on the ocean.
When two pitches are out of tune
with each other their sound waves do not
appear in sync. When sound waves crash
against each other, the point of impact is
called a beat. The slower the frequency of
impact, the slower the beats and the closer
the pitches are to being in tune. The faster
the frequency of impact, the faster the
beats and the farther the pitches are out
of tune. Beats create a “rough” sounding
pitch. This is similar to the effect of the
wake of a motorboat as it crosses waves
on the ocean; it is chaotic and rough. The
example below illustrates two pitches out
of tune with each other.
If students understand the concept of
sound waves and beats, then they have de-
veloped an intellectual perception of tuning
based on physical properties of sound.
Intonation as a Concept of Beauty
It is human nature to spot and describe
flaws faster than we can define the beauti-
ful. If we equate beauty with hearing a
smooth, beat-less sound, then our goal in
tuning the open strings is to recognize an
ugly, out of tune string (many fast beats)
and manipulate the tuning to create a
smooth, beautiful sound (no beats). This
approach from the opposite end of percep-
tion often will relate to students for whom
the prior two approaches did not.
Rule 2: “Not everyone can perceive the
fine musical differences between Haydn
and Mozart but everyone knows ugly!” -
Dr. B.R. Henson (personal communication,
September 9, 1982).
I have used each of these concepts,
often within the same class of students,
to raise awareness of the importance of
being in tune. Once students understand
the value and importance of being in tune,
they are ready to proceed through a meth-
odology of tuning the open strings of the
instrument.
Equipment Needed for Successful
Classroom Tuning
Fine Tuners
Certain mechanical requirements should
be addressed before asking the student to
manipulate the tuning of their instrument.
In order for students to accurately tune
their instrument in a timely manner it is
imperative that fine tuners be installed
and in good working order. While some
teachers feel that fine tuners may dampen
or weaken the tone of the instrument, the
benefits fine tuners provide outweigh those
concerns. Most students will be using
student-quality instruments in fractional
sizes; thus, the percentage of depreciation
in tone quality is relatively small, if any,
compared to that assumed for professional
quality instruments.
Small changes in pitch are common
in stringed instruments due to stretching
of the string, shifting of the bridge, and
the effect of temperature/humidity. These
minor pitch changes can be corrected by
young students by manipulating the fine
tuners. Extreme climate change or bump-
ing the instrument may cause the pegs to
come loose or the bridge to fall; in that
case, young students should be taught to
bring the instrument to the teacher for ad-
justment. Older students should be taught
the proper procedure for installing strings
and re-positioning a bridge.
Replace or repair any faulty or missing
tuners. Lubricate the threads of the screws
with graphite, machine oil, or pencil lead
if necessary. Once fine tuners are in place
and functioning, check the pegs for proper
function. If the pegs do not turn easily or
hold their position without slipping, re-
move them one at a time and apply a small
amount of peg compound to the barrel.
False Strings
Strings are called “false” when they sound
dull (few ringing overtones). False strings
may be identified by difficulty in tuning
open strings by fifths, unstable location
of harmonics, and/or inability to make
harmonics sound clearly at the proper
location on the string. Replace any strings
determined as false with new strings for a
clear, ringing tone when tuning.
Do not confuse a false string with one
that simply has a large build up of rosin on
the string; cleaning the strings will often
return a string to its former luster and
tone. Use a soft cloth and rub the rosin
off each string until it stops “whistling.”
Appearances can be deceiving, some silver-
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 coated strings may tarnish slightly; this
does not affect their overall tone.
Sustained Reference Pitch
A sustained reference pitch is necessary to
tune in a classroom setting. The reference
pitch may be provided by either an elec-
tronic tuner or an acoustic instrument (the
piano does not provide the sustained tone
needed for young players to internalize
the pitch while playing). A multiple-pitch
electronic tuner, able to broadcast and
sustain the pitch of each open string, is a
useful tool in the teaching of tuning. There
are several rules to remember when using
an electronic tuner.
RULE 3: Do Not Play the Tuner so
Loud that the Pitch Bends Flat in Your
Classroom.
The reference pitch must be broadcast at
a dynamic that allows every student to
hear it clearly yet not so loud as to cause
distortion. Henning and Grosberg (1968),
Terhardt (1975), and Verschure and
Meerten (1975) found that A-440 falls
into that range which is perceived lower
when it is heard louder.4,5,6 This effect oc-
curs to a greater extent when using a pure
tone source (electronic tuner) than when
using a complex tone source (acoustic
instrument). As dynamic levels increase, a
gradual increase in pitch flattening occurs;
the louder the sound, the flatter it sounds
to our ears.
RULE 4: Do Not Play the Tuner so Loud
that the Pitch Sounds Different in Dif-
ferent Parts of the Classroom.
Seargent (1973) and Benade (1990) found
that the louder an electronic tuner (pure
tone) is played in a classroom, the greater
the distortion of pitch heard in different
areas of the room.7,8 As dynamic levels
increase, pitch is perceived differently at
different locations in a room. This research
should caution educators to sound the
tuner no louder than necessary to be heard
across the classroom and to have the stu-
dents tune softly in response.
RULE 5: Give Your Low Strings a Break.
Additional research found that string stu-
dents tuning in a different octave than the
22 | American String Teacher | November 2008
sound source are at a disadvantage.9 Two
possible solutions would be to place the A-
440 sound source next to the cello and basses
rather than next to violins or to use a pitch
source, which has multi-octave capabilities.
Preparatory Exercises for Development
of Tuning Skills
When are students capable of tuning their
instrument? Research suggests that time
studying the instrument is a more accu-
rate measure of tuning potential than the
chronological age of the student.10 In other
words, a ninth grader who has played since
second grade will probably tune more accu-
rately than an eleventh grader who started
in the sixth grade. This can be general-
ized to the population of beginning string
students in so much that the time needed
to develop the skills necessary for tuning
the instrument will be similar regardless of
grade level they started instruction.
Although students will not be able to
begin tuning their individual instruments
until they have mastered a number skills
needed for good tone production, the
concept of tuning the instrument can be
introduced from the first day of class. The
more closely students are engaged in the
tuning of open strings, even if they are just
listening and not yet ready to actually ad-
just pegs or tuners, the more sensitized they
become to tuning. Preparatory exercises for
developing tuning skills should include the
following.
1. Establish a concept of “in tune” and
“out of tune.” Use the three approach-
es discussed earlier in this article to
establish a concept of intonation.
2. Involve students in an active rather
than a passive tuning routine. At
each class meeting, take time to model
proper tuning of the open strings. En-
gage students in the process by asking,
“higher” or “lower.” In addition to the
three approaches discussed earlier, use
the analogy of tuning a radio or focus-
ing a camera lens.
3. Develop long, smooth bows on the
open strings. Students will not be
able to accurately tune their instru-
ments until they can produce a soft,
sustained, smooth tone. Many modern
string methods do not introduce whole
notes until the end of Book 1; however,
as soon as the bow hold is established
students can add long, smooth bows
on open strings as a part of their
daily warm-up. Common tone chord
progressions on the piano can be used
to accompany open string bowing; for
tuning purposes these bow strokes do
not need to be metrical or named as
whole notes.
4. A quiet atmosphere should be es-
tablished. As per the previously cited
research, students need to be able to
accurately hear and memorize the
reference pitches. If the sound source is
played loudly, the student will respond
in kind. Accurate perception of pitch
can only be achieved through tuning at
a soft dynamic level.
5. Enable the student through guidance
and modeling. In the early lessons, the
teacher will need to do the tuning while
the student draws the bow and suggests
pitch direction. As students gain bowing
and aural skills, the teacher can step back
and give hands-off advice, leaving the
actual manipulation of the tuners to the
student.
6. Use echo/play and improvisation to
develop the ear. During your daily
warm-up routine perform short melodic
fragments and have the students echo
them. Start with four-beat samples
and expand to two- and four-measure
melodies. Once a rhythmic routine of
teacher/student echo is established, indi-
vidual students can provide the melodic
segments as improvisations for the class
to echo (If this is done within a rhythmic
framework an entire class can improvise
and echo multiple fragments within a
few minutes). Aural training through
improvisation and echo/play can begin
at any stage of technique development as
long as the examples stay within a pre-
scribed framework of the techniques that
have been taught: open strings or specific
fingered notes, pizzicato, or arco.
7. Have students sing lines from their
method book daily. As instrumentalists
we have traditionally ignored one of the
best and earliest developed skills that
our students bring to the classroom:
the ability to sing. If students sing every
line in their method book before they
play it, they will internalize the pitch
before it is performed. This should start
early, when the method book lines are
simple, so as to avoid frustration or fail-
ure in the future. Students can sing note
names, solfegge, or neutral syllables
such as “loo” or “tah,” depending on the
harmonic implications or the articula-
tion prescribed. By singing daily, we can
assist students to internalize pitch and
to become masters of their own inner
musician. Bruce Dalby (1999) wrote:
Singing is an excellent way to improve
melodic and harmonic intonation. Sing-
ing helps students concentrate on the pitch
they hear in their minds without being led
astray by the intonational characteristics
of their instruments or the limitations of
their technique. Then, when they play,
they have a more refined mental reference
to which to tune their playing. (p. 22)11
8. Begin with students tuning unisons.
Unisons are more readily perceived than
fifths. Teachers should delay tuning by
fifths until double-stops on open strings
are mastered. The following is a proce-
dure for developing individual tuning
skills utilizing the fine tuners:
Tuning Exercise 1
Individual Tuning with Fine Tuners
Instruct the students to experiment turn-
ing the fine tuners in both directions as
they say, “higher” or “lower” at the ap-
propriate time.
• To lower the pitch of the string, turn
the fine tuner counter clockwise.
• To raise the pitch of the string, turn the
fine tuner clockwise.
When all students understand the function
of turning the tuners in different direc-
tions, lead them through the following
procedure on the A string:
Procedure (instructions to students):
1. Listen to the reference pitch for five
seconds and memorize it.
2. Sing the pitch on the syllable “loo”;
this will help you internalize the pitch.
3. Using the upper half of the bow, play
with smooth, soft bow strokes.
4. Does the string sound higher, lower, or
the same as the reference pitch. Stop
the bow briefly at each bow change
and listen.
5. Tune softly. Are you tuning to yourself
or the sound source?
6. If the pitches sound the same and they
are smooth with no beats, you are
probably in tune. If the pitches sound
different and are rough with beats,
you are probably out of tune. Tune the
strings in this way:
a. If the string is higher than the
reference pitch, lower the pitch of
the string by turning the fine tuner
counter clockwise.
b. If the string is lower than the ref-
erence pitch, raise the pitch of the
string by turning the fine tuner
clockwise.
7. Continue making adjustments until
string and reference pitch sound the
same.
As students get closer to being in tune, the
beats slow down and smooth out. If they
turn the tuner the wrong way the speed of
beats or “roughness” increases. If a student
can’t tell whether they are in tune or out
of tune, they are probably close to being
in tune; have them turn the fine tuner in
either direction, and if the beats speed up
they are turning the wrong direction.
RULE 6: Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day!
The first time Tuning Exercise 1 is pre-
sented, the director should work with a
few students in front of the class. The class
should assist with responses as to which
way to turn the tuners and how much to
turn them. Work with a few students each
day until everyone has had an opportunity
to tune. The teacher should tune all other
strings needed for the day’s class. The
following tips can be given as a handout,
posted in the classroom, or used as a verbal
reminder list during the tuning procedure:
Tips for Successful Individual Tuning
• The fine tuners make pitch higher
when turned clockwise and lower when
turned counter clockwise.
• Use the fine tuners for most daily tun-
ing situations. Don’t start with the pegs
unless you are more than a half step
out of tune.
• If you must use the pegs, make sure to
push the peg into the peg box as it is
turned.
• Tune softly!
• When tuning, stop the bow briefly at
each bow change and listen to the tun-
ing pitch. It becomes obvious if you are
in/out of tune when you listen beyond
yourself.
• Ask yourself, “Is it me that is out of
tune?” The very finest musicians ask
themselves, “Is it me?”
• If you are having difficulty hearing
your sound above the group, don’t play
louder! Learn to isolate your sound by
leaning away from other players (violin,
viola) or by putting your ear to the
scroll (cello, bass).
• If you hear that you are out of tune but
cannot decide whether you are sharp or
flat, go either way. If you go the right
direction the beats will slow down, if
you go the wrong direction they will
get faster. In every case, it is better to
try to correct the problem than to sit
there with an out of tune instrument.
RULE 7: Don’t Take All Day!
Enforcing strict time limits allows for
ensemble tuning to be a finite task. If
students are limited in the amount of
time they have to tune, they will learn to
tune faster. Tuning Exercise 2 is a tuning
procedure for a young string ensemble that
can be accomplished in three minutes by
adhering to strict time limits.
Tuning Exercise 2
Group Tuning Procedure for the
Young String Ensemble
Sound the A for 10 seconds, class sings
pitch on “loo” vowel. (20 seconds)
LEVEL 1 – Group tuning by unison
(Move Electronic Tuner to new pitches as
they are introduced)
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 Group tuning of the A string
(20 seconds)
Group tuning of the D string
(20 seconds)
Group tuning of the G string
(20 seconds)
Viola, Cello tuning of the C string
(20 seconds)
Violins-tune the E string
(20 seconds)
String Basses tune the E string
(20 seconds)
LEVEL 2 – Final individual check
Individual check of all strings (Softly!)
(20 seconds)
Now, raise your hand if you still have a
string out of tune.
Total tuning time: 3:00
As this procedure becomes routine, you can
choose student leaders who watch the clock
and signal when time is up on each note.
RULE 8: Encourage Students to Rely on
Their Own Abilities, Not Yours, Until
the Procedure is Complete.
Group Tuning by Fifths
Any two strings on the violin, viola, and
cello are separated by the interval of a fifth.
A fifth is referred to as “perfect” when it
is in tune because it does not produce any
beats. Because the unison is more easily
tuned than the fifth or harmonics, tuning
by fifths or harmonics should be postponed
until students have mastered tuning uni-
sons (Tuning Exercises 1 and 2).
Students will not be able to accurately tune
their instruments using fifths until they can
produce a soft, sustained, smooth tone on
open-string double stops. In most modern
string method books this would occur
toward the end of a Book 1. In a classroom
situation, however, students can be taught
to hear perfect fifths before they can actu-
ally play them on their instruments. This
is accomplished by incorporating listening
for beat-less fifths between sections during
the tuning process. For example, one sec-
tion plays the open A string while another
24 | American String Teacher | Nove
November
mber 2
2008
plays the open D string. In a group tuning
procedure, this can add an additional level
of tuning accuracy across the orchestra.
TUNING EXERCISE 3
Group Tuning Procedure for the
Intermediate String Ensemble
Sound the A for 10 seconds, class sings
pitch on “loo” vowel. (20 seconds)
Group tuning of the A string
(20 seconds)
LEVEL 1 – Group tuning by unison
(Move Electronic Tuner to new pitches as
they are introduced)
Group review of the A string
(10 seconds)
Group tuning of the D, G, C, and E strings
(20 seconds)
LEVEL 2 – Group tuning by fifths
Viola, Cello, Bass play A, Violins-tune E
(20 seconds)
Continue by tuning D to A, G to D and C
to G (20 seconds each)
Teacher checks tuning of Bass E string
(20 seconds)
LEVEL 3 – Final individual check
Individual check of all strings (Softly!)
(20 seconds)
Now, raise your hand if you still have a
string out of tune.
Total tuning time: 4:30
Decrease time on each task by five seconds each
month until total tuning time equals: 3:00
Individual Tuning by Fifths
Advanced players of violin, viola, and cello
often check their individual tuning by
fifths. After thoroughly acquainting the
ear with the concept of tuning by fifths in
Tuning Exercise 3 and mastering the perfor-
mance of smooth, open string unisons and
double-stops, students may begin individu-
ally checking their tuning by fifths.
TUNING EXERCISE 4
Individual Tuning by Fifths
(Violin, Viola, and Cello)
Procedure:
1. Listen to the reference pitch for five
seconds. Memorize it.
2. Sing the pitch on the syllable “loo.”
This will help you internalize the pitch.
3. Tune the A string in unison to the refer-
ence pitch. When it is in tune, continue.
4. Play soft, smooth double-stops using A
and D strings.
5. Determine if the D string is in tune
with the A string by listening for beats.
Stop the bow briefly at each bow change
and listen again to the tuning pitch.
6. If there are no beats present, the D string
is in tune. If there are beats present,
determine whether the D is too high or
too low. Tune the strings in this way:
a. If the D string is too high, lower
the pitch of the string by turning
the fine tuner counter clockwise.
b. If the D string is too low, raise the
pitch of the string by turning the
fine tuner clockwise.
7. Continue making adjustments until the
beats disappear and you have a perfect fifth.
8. Once the D string is in tune, play the
D and G strings as double stops and
check the tuning of the G string with
the procedure above.
9. Violins: finish by checking the E string
against the A string.
10. Violas and Cellos: finish by checking
the C string against the G string.
Tuning with Harmonics
Harmonics are often referenced by cello and
string bass players for open string tuning
because they provide an additional method
for checking intonation at the unison.
Because the use of harmonics brings the
tuning pitch a higher audible range, many
string bass players use harmonic tuning as
their primary method. In modern string
methods, the concept of harmonics is usu-
ally taught at the end of Book 1 or early in
Book 2. Once bass third position and cello
fourth positions have been introduced and
the concept of “harmonic” is understood,
harmonic tuning may be taught. In many
cases, I have taught bass and cello players
how to check their tuning with this method
in one 15-minute session. Tuning Exercises
5a and 5b illustrate cello and string bass
tuning by harmonics.
 TUNING EXERCISE 5a TUNING EXERCISE 5b TUNING EXERCISE 6a
Tuning with Harmonics (Cello) Tuning with Harmonics (String Bass) Group Tuning Procedure for the
Advanced String Ensemble

Procedure: Procedure: Sound the A for 10 seconds, class sings

1. Listen to the reference pitch for five
seconds. Memorize it.
2. Sing the pitch on the syllable “loo.”
This will help you internalize the pitch.
3. Tune the A string in unison to the refer-
ence pitch. When it is in tune, continue.
4. Touch your mid-string harmonic on
the A string with third finger. Play it
with a long, smooth bow stroke.
5. Now check the tuning of the D string by
touching the harmonic that lies under-
neath first finger in fourth position on
the D string. It should sound the same as
the A string harmonic.
6. If the two notes do not sound the
same, raise or lower the pitch of the
D string until both harmonics match.
Bow back and forth between the two
strings with long smooth bow strokes
to confirm intonation.
7. Continue this procedure by matching
G to D, then C to G.
1. Listen to the reference pitch for five pitch on “loo” vowel. (20 seconds)
seconds. Memorize it. Group tuning of the A string
2. Sing the pitch on the syllable “loo.” (20 seconds)
3. Tune the A string in unison to the refer-
ence pitch. When it is in tune, continue. LEVEL 1 – Individual tuning
4. In third position, play the first finger Individuals tune by fifths and/or harmon-
harmonic on the A string and the ics (Softly!) (30 seconds)
fourth finger harmonic on the D string.
5. Check the D string against the A LEVEL 2 – Group tuning by unison
string. They should sound the same. (Move Electronic Tuner to new pitches as
6. If the two notes do not sound the they are introduced)
same, raise or lower the pitch of the Group review of the A string
D string until both harmonics match. (10 seconds)
Bow back and forth between the two Group tuning of the D, G, C, and E
strings with long smooth bow strokes strings (20 seconds each)
to confirm intonation.
7. Continue this procedure by matching LEVEL 3 – Group tuning by fifths
G to D, then E to A. Viola, Cello, Bass play A, Violins-tune E
(20 seconds)
Continue by tuning D to A, G to D and C
to G (20 seconds each)
Basses tune E harmonic against A harmonic
(20 seconds)
LEVEL 4 – Final individual check
Individuals check tuning by fifths and/or
harmonics (Softly!)
(20 seconds)

Now, raise your hand if you still have a

string out of tune.

Total tuning time: 5:00

Decrease time on each task by 5 seconds
each month until total tuning time equals
3:00.

TUNING EXERCISE 6b:

Once an ensemble understands the
concepts of tuning unisons, fifths (as a
group and as individuals), and harmonics
they will have acquired an arsenal of tun-
ing techniques which can be referenced to
secure the accuracy of their open strings.
At this point, all techniques may be
combined into a common class procedure.
Tuning Exercises 6a and 6b are variations
of the same theme.
Alternate Group Tuning Procedure
for the Advanced String Ensemble
Sound the A for 10 seconds, class sings
pitch on “loo” vowel.
(20 seconds)
Group tuning of the A” string
(20 seconds)
LEVEL 1 – Individual tuning
Individuals tune by fifths and/or harmon-
ics (Softly!)
(30 seconds)

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 LEVEL 2 – Group tuning by unison and fifths 6. Vershure, J., van Meerten, A. A. (1975). Effect of intensity on pitch. Acustica, 32, 33-44.
7. Sergeant, D. (1973). Measurement of pitch discrimination. Journal of Research in Music
(Move electronic tuner to new pitch as they are introduced) Education, 21, 3-19.
Basses tune A (15 seconds) 8. Benade, A. H. (1990). Fundamentals of musical acoustics. (2nd ed.). New York: Dover
Publications.
Add Cellos on A (15 seconds) 9. Alexander, Michael L. (2000). Comparing the use of pure tone versus complex tones as a
Add Violas on A (15 seconds) reference pitch for tuning the public school string orchestra. (Unpublished Dissertation,
Add Violins on A (15 seconds) Univ. of Houston, 2000).
10. Ibid.
(Each section remains on A until they move to D) 11. Dalby, B (1999). Teaching audiation in instrumental classes. Music Educators Journal, 85
(6), 22.

Repeat procedure above on D and G strings

(2 minutes)
Cellos and tuner move to “C”
Add Violas on C
All sections and tuner return to A
Add Violins and Basses on E
LEVEL 3 – Final individual check
Individuals check tuning by fifths and/or harmonics (Softly!)
(25 seconds)
Now, raise your hand if you still have a string out of tune.
Total tuning time: 5:00
Decrease time on each task by five seconds each month until total
tuning time equals: 3:00
There are certain overriding rules that should be in place for a
class to tune successfully. As the policeman of the classroom the
teacher must enforce the following concepts:
• Insist that students tune softly,
• Insist that “close enough” is not,
• Insist that students complete the tuning procedure before ask-
ing for assistance, and
• Enforce strict time limits.
(15 seconds) Dr. Michael Alexander is the associate professor of
String Music Education at Baylor University. His duties
(15 seconds)
include supervising string student teachers, instruction
in classroom string pedagogy, directing the Baylor
(15 seconds) String Project and conducting the Baylor Campus
Orchestra. Alexander is co-author of the “Orchestra
Expressions” string series and has served as president
of the Texas Orchestra Directors Association and vice
president of the Texas Music Educators Association.
He has also served as chairman of the Committee on School Orchestras
and Strings for ASTA. From 1994-2001, Alexander served as Conduc-
tor for the Houston Youth Symphony-Philharmonia Orchestra. He is
currently Principal Conductor of the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Alexander was the first recipient of the Houston Symphony School Bell
Award for Excellence in Teaching and in 1994 and 2006, named
Teacher of the Year for Stratford High School. He has received letters
of commendation from the City of Houston, the Texas Music Educators
Association, Spring Branch ISD, a citation of merit from ASTA, and, in
2002, the Elizabeth A.H. Green Award from ASTA.

RULE 10: Practice Makes Perfect (fifth’s that is).

A student orchestra that can tune the open strings accurately and
quickly provides a strong foundation for future development in
the tuning of fingered pitches, double-stops, and chords. Aural
tuning is as much the development what to listen for as it is
how to listen. Once the aural foundation is laid then the techni-
cal skills needed to produce a soft, smooth, warm tone and to
manipulate the various tuning devices on the instrument must be
taught. A system in which students are taught to tune within time
restraints raises their level of concern and decreases the amount of
class time spent in initial tuning.
With a foundation for accurate tuning in place, the real
beauty of orchestral playing can be further developed by the
teacher. For a teacher to overlook or shortchange this important
first step is to create an injustice to both the student and the art.

Bibliography
1. Griswold, Harold E. (1988). How to teach aural skills with: electronic tuners. Music
Educators Journal, 74 (5), 49-51.
2. Volkman, R. (1996). Viva la petite difference. Tuba Journal, 23, 40.
3. Green, E. A. H. (1987). Teaching stringed instruments in classes. Bloomington, IN:
Tichenor Publishing.
4. Henning, G. B B., Grosberg, S. L. (1968). Effects of harmonic components on frequency
iscrimina on. Jo
discrimination. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 44 (5), 1386-1389.
5. Terhardt, E. (19775). The influence of intensity on the pitch of complex tones. Acustica,
(1975). custi
33, 344-348.

26 | American String Teacher | Nove

November
embe 2008