TUNING​ ​TABLE:​ ​Involve​ ​students​ ​in​ ​open​ ​string​ ​tuning:​ ​ ​Insist​ ​they​ ​tune​ ​at​ ​least​ ​one​ ​string​

​to​ ​begin​ ​with 

 
Violin  Tuned​ ​in​ ​5ths  G  D  A  E 
Viola  Tuned​ ​in​ ​5ths  C  G  D  A 
Cello  Tuned​ ​in​ ​5ths  C  G  D  A 
Bass  Tunined​ ​in​ ​4ths  E  A  D  G 
Bass​ ​(Solo)  Tuned​ ​one​ ​step  F#  B  E  A 
higher 
Bass​ ​(5ths)  Purchase  C  G  D  A 
“Red​ ​Mitchell”   Octave​ ​lower   Octave​ ​lower   Octave​ ​lower  Octave​ ​lower  
or​ ​“5ths.”  than​ ​cello  than​ ​cello  ​ ​than​ ​cello  than​ ​cello 
 
Cross​ ​-Tuning​ ​for​ ​classes​ ​comfortable​ ​with​ ​tuning:  
● Director​ ​or​ ​section​ ​leader(s)​ ​play​ ​an​ ​A  
● Everyone​ ​hums​ ​the​ ​tuning​ ​pitch​ ​and​ ​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​tune​ ​their​ ​A,  
● Once​ ​the​ ​A​ ​is​ ​tuned,​ ​students​ ​are​ ​instructed​ ​to​ ​tune​ ​up​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​their​ ​pitches​ ​using​ ​the​ ​tip​ ​of​ ​their 
bow 
Orchestra​ ​is​ ​still​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​out​ ​of​ ​tune-Section​ ​leader​ ​takes​ ​them​ ​through​ ​the​ ​Cross-Tuning​ ​procedure 
 
Unison  Everyone​ ​plays  ​ ​A  Tune​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​it's​ ​close​ ​to​ ​perfect  A 
1  Violin​ ​/​ ​Basses​ ​play   A  Violas​ ​/​ ​Cellos​ ​tune   D 
2  Viola​ ​/​ ​Cello​ ​play   A  Violin​ ​/​ ​Basses​ ​tune  D 
3  Violin​ ​/​ ​Basses​ ​play   D  Violas​ ​and​ ​Cellos​ ​tune​ ​ ​tune  G 
4  Viola/​ ​Cello​ ​play   D  Violin​ ​/​ ​Basses​ ​tune  G 
5  Violin​ ​/​ ​Basses​ ​play   G  Viola’s​ ​and​ ​Cellos​ ​tune  C 
6  Violas​ ​/​ ​Cellos​ ​play  A  Violins​ ​tune  E 
7  Violins​ ​play  E  Basses​ ​tune​ ​(​ ​extra​ ​time​ ​for​ ​harmonic​ ​checking​ ​as​ ​need)  E 
 
 
 
 
A:​ ​Poor​ ​Tuning​ ​Factors 
1. Instrument​ ​is​ ​tuned​ ​for​ ​the​ ​students 
2. Not​ ​required​ ​to​ ​hum/​ ​sing​ ​tuning​ ​pitches​ ​or​ ​passages 
3. Never​ ​taught​ ​how​ ​to​ ​cross​ ​tune​ ​with-in​ ​the​ ​ensemble 
 
B:​ ​Improve​ ​ensemble​ ​length​ ​of​ ​tuning​ ​and​ ​tuning​ ​ability: 
1. Increase​ ​strategies​ ​by​ ​adding​ ​to​ ​bag​ ​of​ ​tricks 
2. Insist​ ​on​ ​proper​ ​playing​ ​positions:​ ​ ​ALWAYS 
a. Have​ ​upper​ ​strings​ ​stand​ ​for​ ​improved​ ​playing​ ​positions 
b. Special​ ​chairs​ ​for​ ​cellos 
c. Shift​ ​weight​ ​between​ ​legs​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​them​ ​focused 
d. Upper​ ​strings​ ​scrolls​ ​pointing​ ​to​ ​the​ ​wall 
e. Relentless​ ​correction​ ​of​ ​collapsed​ ​wrist​ ​and​ ​flat​ ​fingers.\ 
 
​ ​C.​ ​ ​Increase​ ​Aura​ ​Development 
a. Long​ ​notes​ ​before​ ​short​ ​notes: 
b. Shake​ ​it​ ​up​ ​and​ ​return​ ​to​ ​pitch 
c. Improved​ ​rhythm​ ​through​ ​pizzicato​ ​playing​ ​(bassists​ ​loudest)​ ​will​ ​improve​ ​general​ ​pitch 
d. Sing,​ ​sing,​ ​sing 
e. Tune​ ​with​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Key:​ ​Root​ ​and​ ​5th​ ​while​ ​another​ ​section​ ​plays​ ​the​ ​moving​ ​passage 
f. Rewrite​ ​parts​ ​for​ ​improved​ ​ensemble​ ​balance​ ​and​ ​sonority 
g. Tune​ ​the​ ​fermata: 
h. Scales​ ​in​ ​5ths,​ ​and​ ​rounds​ ​(use​ ​tonal​ ​groups​ ​to​ ​add​ ​another​ ​component) 
 
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​D.​ ​ ​ ​Finger​ ​patterns​ ​don’t​ ​agree​ ​with​ ​key​ ​signatures  
1. ​ ​Create​ ​tetrachord​ ​finger​ ​patterns​ ​related​ ​to​ ​the​ ​key 
2. Multi​ ​octave​ ​scales 
3. Chromatic​ ​chunks 
4. Students​ ​are​ ​not​ ​made​ ​aware​ ​of​ ​the​ ​4th​ ​and​ ​7th​ ​scale​ ​degrees:​ ​create 
5.