Step away from the tuner and no-one gets hurt!

Tuners are great little devices. And now, you can even have one in your pocket at all times with tuner apps available for your mobile device of choice. They are responsible for helping provide a consistent, stable pitch for ensembles to tune to via the oboe/tuba/pitch reference instrument in your ensemble. And they are the key to making sure you play in tune all the time - just stick one of these handy little suckers on your stand and try to avoid the red lights. Right?

No, you are probably not.

Err, no.

I have seen doctoral students with them on their stand in rehearsals, annoying everyone around with the constant Christmas-tree-like flashing. I have seen entire bands performing on stage with their tuners clipped to their bells. And every time, I feel like music education has seriously let these people down.

There are both scientific reasons and educational reasons why this is a bad idea. The scientific reasons are all to do with a guy called Pythagoras. (Yes, the guy responsible for the theory behind calculating the length of the hypotenuse in a right-angled triangle. I told you there was maths in music.) It is widely believed that Pythagoras was largely responsible for discovering the natural division of the musical scale into 12 notes. He calculated the scale by using a string of a set length, and changing the length based on a ratio of 3:2. After repeating this process 11 times, he wound up back at the note he began at, albeit in a different octave. Except he didn't quite make it. The natural division of the scale, according to the ear and the maths, overshoots the octave slightly, meaning not all 12 notes fit neatly into the octave. The fifths, known as pure fifths, are pleasing to the ear, but the thirds sound rather interesting according to modern ears.

This didn't become an issue until about the 16th century, when the third came into prominence as the dominant interval, keyboards were being used and composers wanted to have the flexibility to write in all available keys. Several tuning systems were used around this time, including just intonation and well-temperament (J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier was his way of introducing the tuning system as a way of writing in all 12 keys). Equal temperament was proposed in the late 16th century. It involved the division of the octave into 12 equal intervals. Equal temperament was easy for keyboard instruments, but it didn't allow for the natural 'settling' of certain intervals and the resonance that 'pure' intervals provide.

Tuners typically use equal temperament. If you are playing with piano, then this is not such a bad thing. If you are playing in an ensemble that relies on the natural harmonics of certain intervals, then by being 'correct' with the tuner, you are actually 'out of tune'. Fifths will sound squashed and major thirds will sound too open. Leading tones need to be raised slightly in order to create a sense of their true function.

There are tuners which claim to use just and mean temperament, but given that natural tendencies will always depend on the current harmony being sounded, how can any device possibly predict what the exact pitch of the note is that needs to be slotted in, given it does not know what pitches have already been given?

Pedagogically speaking, relying on tuners means students are training the eyes and not the ears. They know what to LOOK for but often have no idea what SOUNDS in tune. This coupled with the fact that the tuner is not, essentially, in tune with most ensembles, and it is no wonder these students have a confused ear.

Students should learn to identify sharp and flat against a unison pitch as a first step, and work at matching this as quickly as possible. Tuning fifths should follow soon after. Students should listen to eliminate beats, accentuate resonance and discover how to affect pitch on their instrument WITHOUT changing the pitch of their entire instrument by moving tuning slides and pegs for single notes. (Don't laugh. I have seen it more times than I can count.) Air speed, embouchure and finger adjustments/venting are the main players here.

So, the tuner is a handy little tool, but it is not a crutch. Overused, it will do more damage than good. Trust yourself to rely on your ears, and you will be surprised how much you are innately aware of.

The musical diet - ensemble edition

If you take an ensemble, you need to be able to answer these questions with an even stronger 'yes'. Ensemble repertoire is big business. Composers are now employed by publishing companies and must meet targets, regardless of whether the piece is inspired or required.

In the case of recent band music, it is often described as being 'assembly-line'. A lot of these works follow the same formula. Fast, rhythmically driving A section. Slow, lyrical B section, often in a related key, a change in time signature (often to 3/4) with perhaps the melody stated initially by a flute or oboe solo. The fast A section returns, usually slightly abridged to finish with a dramatic all-timpani-blazing coda.

I see you nodding.

We need to give our kids a good diet to ensure they turn out as well-rounded musicians. The above mentioned pieces are fine - if you mix them up with other stuff. There is still educational benefit to be had if you know how to work the concepts.

The kinds of repertoire that our ensemble students should be exposed to include:

• Works by a variety of composers of different nationalities

While there is not much educational about playing entirely 'typical' mass produced band pieces as described above, there is also not much in a season of only Mozart. Variety is the key. On a side note, if you have students who happen not to like Mozart, you are turning them off orchestra all together. At least give them a variety that means they will have a chance at liking something else!

• Works in a variety of forms.

Lots of students will graduate high school having never played a multi-movement ensemble piece. Or a piece in sonata form. Or a fanfare. Get out of the ABA fast-slow-fast comfort zone and present something with new structural concepts. I taught two Year 10 students the other day, and as we were working through Mozart's Turkish Rondo, I had to explain rondo form, as they had never heard of it before. Year 10! 5 years of learning instrumental music!

• Works in something other than major keys.

There is a lot of modern band music that is not in major keys - and it is in the natural minor (which is a cop out, because the natural minor is just a major scale starting two notes lower). The reason for this is due to the system of learning in the US, which involves starting all together in band, with flat keys being the dominant theme. You can't even play in F minor as they don't learn concert E natural for at least the first year (and then composers avoid it because the kids aren't used to playing E naturals and they don't want their piece to be played badly).

Find music in modes. Music in true melodic and harmonic minors. Music that is chromatic and music that constantly changes its tonal centre.

• Which also applies to time signatures.

4/4 is a boring but necessary evil. Overdone, it allows kids to fall into a comfort zone and approximate the music instead of concentrating on the exactness of rhythm. 6/8 is a must, as is 3/4. Students shouldn't leave high school without having played in 5/4 or 7/8. Teach students about subdividing uneven bars - best they do it while they are young and learn to feel it. Choose at least one piece that changes time signature.

• Works with an historical context.

This is much easier in some areas than others, but it is still not uncommon to find choirs singing pop medleys and little else, or string orchestras playing nothing but the latest "insert publisher here" catalogue. Find out what the masterworks are for your ensemble. Are there easier arrangements for young bands? Are there other pieces by those composers that you could expose your students to?

Too many band students are graduating high school without even knowing that Holst wrote the first* band piece, and that it's actually really cool. How about all of those guys from the 1950s? Until I went to the US, I knew nothing about Vincent Persichetti and Morton Gould, and I had played in bands for nearly 20 years!

So...where do I find all this music?

Publishers tend to advertise and sell the latest unless you know what you are looking for. Here is a list of places to check out repertoire of note:

• Festival lists - make sure these come from a variety of places around the world! Many are now available online.
• Annotated guides and repertoire books - choose those written by respected educators and conductors. For orchestra and band, check out the GIA series "Teaching Music Through Performance in...", which comes with CDs as well.
• Specific forums and websites
• Advice from fellow conductors and organisations (ABODA, ASTA, etc)

It is our responsibility as educators to provide our students with a balanced diet. They only know what we open them up to, so make it worthwhile!

*I know there are other 'band' works before 1909, but Holst's instrumentation was the closest thing to our modern day band at that point in time, features idiomatic wind writing and was written specifically for 'military band', and is therefore considered the first true wind band work.

Fix my oboe reed (aka: 'why does no one want to sit next to me in band?')

I love oboe. It gets the best solos, it gets to tune the entire orchestra and not that many people play it, so there are lots of opportunities to play.

BUT...

Those darn reeds! They will make or break a player - often in the same rehearsal.

How can you help yourself out here? Unlike clarinet and saxophone (and there are single-reed pros out there who will also insist that this isn't the case), machine made reeds just don't cut it, and you can't select from a box of 10. The ideal situation is to learn how to make them yourself. Initial costs can be expensive, but once you are set up, the cost per reed is much cheaper than buying them. Making reeds is not 'hard', but it does require attention to detail, trial and error and you will need to learn that you will make some horrendous sounding 'reeds' before you can start making useable ones. Like learning the instrument itself, it is a process. (If you think you are at this point, I offer reed making lessons).

If making reeds isn't yet on your to do list, you still need to learn how to adjust them and look after them. There are a few guidelines to get started on this journey.
1. Make sure you always have multiple WORKING reeds. Three is a minimum. Rotate them each time you play, and try to have reeds in your case that are of various ages, so they don't all die at once. Which leads me to...
2. Keep them in a case. A good case. Cases can be expensive, but so are reeds - look after them! Cases with ribbon holders (reeds fit into a slot), as opposed to mandrel holders (reeds slide onto a stem), are best, as reeds that do not fit the mandrels correctly can slide off and damage their tips on the inside of the case (learnt from experience). Your reed case should have a place for at least 6 reeds, or 20 if you make your own reeds. Make sure your reed case has ventilation, and regularly keep the lid open if you have been playing a lot in order to allow the reeds to dry properly. Constantly wet reeds can attract mould and will die faster.
3. Learn how to adjust your reeds and get the tools needed for the job.

Adjusting reeds
The minimum tools you will need for this job are:

• A knife (bevelled knives are easiest for students to sharpen - cheaper knives are available from Rigotti, and as you progress, you can get a better quality knife, such as a Landwell, my knife of choice). Make sure that if you get a bevelled knife that you get the correct hand - they are specific to left and right hand use. Other kinds of knives include hollow ground, double hollow ground and razor.
• A plaque - this is a small piece of plastic/metal/wood that sits between the blades of the reed so that it doesn't collapse and crack under the pressure of scraping. You should have a flat and a contoured plaque (I keep several of each as they are small and easy to lose)
• A pair of flat-nosed craft pliers (if your reeds come with wire on them)
• Razor blades
• A cutting block - choose one which is not too small and has a gentle curvature on top
• Plumbers' tape

You will notice that some of these items you will find in non-music stores. The double reed specific items can sometimes be found in your local music store, but you will have more choice in brands, styles and prices if you shop around online.

So I have the tools...what do I do with them?

The best way to learn how to adjust reeds is to practice your techniques on old dead (or almost dead) reeds. You don't want to go messing up your working ones if you aren't sure what you are doing!

Supporting the reed

The first thing you need to do is learn how to scrape. Put a plaque in between the blades of your reed (don't push it in too far or you may wind up making the reed leak). Hold the reed in your left hand (reverse all instructions if you are left handed). Support the blades from underneath with your left index finger and stabilise the reed on top using the joint of your left thumb. Place the knife perpendicular to the reed, support the top of the knife blade with the tip of your left thumb, and use a forward-moving swinging motion to gently scrape cane towards the tip. Do this a few times on a dead reed to get used to the feeling of just scraping. Try scraping at different angles - straight down the centre of the reed to the tip, along the rails (the sides) to the tip, and on a diagonal towards the corners of the tip. You will soon learn how hard you can push before you either crack the reed or leave gouges in the cane. Always work in good light (LED or fluorescent light tends to show up the imperfections the best).

Here are some basic adjustments to try. Note that these adjustments apply to European (short) scrape reeds only, which is the most common type of oboe reed used in Australia.

Reed too soft: Firstly, start by using your pliers to gently squeeze the sides of the wire, opening up the tip. If this doesn't help, or makes the reed too fuzzy, return the wire to the opening it originally had. Try scraping the rails (sides) a bit thinner - this tricks the reed into thinking it has more 'meat' in the middle than it does. If it still needs more and the sides are looking a bit thin, the last resort is to clip the tip using a razor blade and cutting block. Make sure you soak the reed for several minutes before doing this otherwise it will crack. Take as small a slice straight across the tip as you possibly can (like a hair width), trying the reed between each clip. You will be amazed at how much of a difference such a small amount can make!

Reed too hard: Start with your pliers and gently squeeze the wire a little more closed. If this doesn't work, return the wire to the original opening and try doing a gentle 'all over' scrape. Be wary of taking too much from the heart, which is the area in the centre of the reed below the tip. I like to scrape from the bottom left corner of the U all the way to the right corner of the tip, and repeat from right to left. This prevents all the scrape coming out of the heart.

Can't play low notes: Low notes are almost entirely to do with the base of the scrape, the U. Scrape a little deeper at the absolute base and taper the scrape as you go higher, focusing mostly on the sides of the U. This technique will also lower the pitch of a sharp reed. Be careful to test as you go, because if you take out too much, you will affect the high notes. If you are still not able to play low notes, the reed may be just a little hard in general.

Reed is flat: Clip the tip of the reed and make the tip a little thinner/longer if it needs it (i.e. if it wasn't too soft to start with).

Reed sounds like a duck/has a shrill sound: Scrape only the corners of the tip (preferably on a diagonal) very gently. Make sure the scrape follows through past the tip - you do not want a ridge left behind. Do not take any cane out of the heart or the middle of the tip as you will only make the problem worse!

Reed is resistant even though it seems soft enough/the cane seems thin enough: This usually means there is a leak between the two blades, which you can sometimes see in good light. If your reeds are wired, this is less common, but it can still happen. Use a very small amount of plumbers tape (about 2cm) and wrap around the reed, using half the thickness to cover the thread and the other half to cover the base of the reed. If this still doesn't fix the problem, try scraping the extreme tip (i.e. the last 0.1mm) a little thinner. Resistance can sometimes mean a reed is dead. Leaks can also occasionally 'repair' themselves with changes in weather - if none of the above fixes the issue, put the reed away and try again next season.

* * *

With practice, you will get better at identifying the problem and being able to match the correct fix to it. Don't put up with (or throw out) half-working reeds, adjusting them is a much better solution!