Four Ideas To Improve String Intonation Problems, Mark Przybylowski

Mark Przybylowski Bunker Hill Middle School, Sewell, NJ mark@markprzybylowski.com

As a string player, solid intonation – or accuracy of pitch – is something that must be developed and is an ongoing area of development and practice no matter the experience level of the player.

Many of my middle school orchestra students don’t hear when they are out of tune and are also not sure how to fix the out of tune note. As educators, it is our job to help them develop their ear, recognition of pitch, and ability to adjust their pitch on their own, in the moment. The method and means for helping students or yourself develop more solid intonation will vary, but listed in this article are four ideas that have proven helpful over the years.

A drone is a sustained tone or note. Working on intonation with a drone is an extremely powerful way of developing the ear and gaining more confidence and accuracy of pitch. I have used drones with my students in small group lessons, large group rehearsals, one-on-one lessons, and in my own practice.

If you have a pitch generator, such as a Doctor Beat or similar device, you can start by setting the generator to the tonal center you desire. The idea is to measure each note, whether it is the notes of a scale or a musical excerpt, against the drone. The goal is to make sure each note is exactly in tune and if it isn’t, adjusting accordingly. This method of practicing intonation really connects the player to each note. When a note is not totally locked in, it is apparent.

It is best to practice very slowly and stay on each note of the scale or musical passage until every note is totally in tune. This method of practice will help to build confidence in where your students should place their fingers. If you are teaching in a small group lesson situation, rehearsal, or one-on-one lesson and you don’t have a pitch generator, you can split the group in half so that one group or person plays the sustained note and the other group or person works on matching their pitch to the sustained tone. You can then switch the groups or roles.

Another method I use is I play a short excerpt or phrase, two or three notes long, and have the students repeat what I played. If the students echo and their pitch is not accurate I will ask them the question, “Did that sound like what I just played?” I will then ask, “Which note (or notes) didn’t sound exactly like mine?” This helps the students and I to analyze their performance and helps to get the students thinking critically about their intonation.

I tell them to focus on the note that was out of tune and really try to hear it and adjust it. I don’t immediately isolate the incorrect pitch notes so that my students apply their knowledge. If the problem isn’t corrected, we will spend some time working on the notes that aren’t correct. Working on intonation with students can be frustrating for them, therefore, it is important to be positive and encouraging.

Another method is to work on matching one pitch note at a time. This works best when working with one student at a time. For example, I will play a single note, such as an F#, and tell the student to move their finger lower in pitch (toward the scroll) or higher in pitch (toward the bridge) until they make their note sound exactly like mine. Once the student has located the note, I will have them play the note and match it to mine as accurately as possible.

It may be challenging to get students who are self-conscious about their voices to sing, but singing is a powerful way of connecting the body to the scale or passage being practiced.

One idea is to have students play a short melodic phrase, then sing it, and then play it on their instruments again. The idea is to help the students get the melody in their ear and internalize what they are playing. From there they can go beyond just the mechanics of playing their instruments to a place where they are really hearing what they are playing.

In addition to playing their instruments against a drone, students can practice singing against a drone. Connecting and measuring the voice against a drone creates a strong sense of pitch and again, helps students to feel and hear the relationship of the drone to the note they are singing. I have used this method in personal practice and have sung scales, melodies, and intervals against a drone to really get a sense of what they sound and feel like.

Solid intonation is a life long pursuit. It isn’t that the great masters of music never play out of tune, but that they are able to adjust quickly and fix their error. Hopefully these ideas will help you and your students develop even better intonation.

What methods do you use for working on intonation? What has helped you or your students play with more accurate pitch?

Currently, Mark Przybylowski is the orchestra teacher at Bunker Hill Middle School in Washington Township, New Jersey.

He performs regularly with Ensemble Novo, a group dedicated to performing the music of Brazil, and freelances in the area.

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