It's "A" day

[vison]

So, if yaz listen to CBC radio whilst driving yer truck to get livestock feed, ya larn lots.

I learned, for example, that today is "A" day.

[River]

A-440. The pitch that is forever branded in my memory.

Laaaaaaaaaaa............

[Primula Baggins]

And didn't it drive you nuts that bands tune to B-flat?

Whereas from vison's link it sounds as if Europe was flat for centuries.

[River]

I never understood what those crazy winds were doing, to tell you the truth.

[Primula Baggins]

Mostly dumping spit on the floor, eyewww.

[Elentári]

For wind players everywhere, especially my fellow horn players

http://www.pjsmusicservices.co.uk/prod5 ... &offset=24

[Primula Baggins]

Brilliant idea!

I knew it was condensation (my brother played the horn for a while), but it does "seem" like spit to us wussy string players.

[Padme]

Waits for Lali to come in with her clarinet and b-flat you all.

[River]

Brilliant idea!

I knew it was condensation (my brother played the horn for a while), but it does "seem" like spit to us wussy string players.

I always picked up my skirt just in case.

[Crucifer]

It makes sense for most brass instruments to use Bb, but that's actually flat on most horns, in context with the rest of the instrument, so it REALLY drives me mad when we have to tune to Bb, as the rest of the instrument is then sharp.

[vison]

See, this is a useful exercise for me. I have no clue whatsoever what the bloody blazes you guyz are on about.

I hope you're happy.

You've confused and upset a silly old lady.

[Primula Baggins]

Oh, vison, vison, vison. You opened the "musician geek" can of worms. You should not have done it so lightly.

[River]

A-440 is the tuning pitch for instruments in the key of C (all strings, pianos, and some winds). Anyone whose played such instruments, or been in an orchestra, has had A-440 branded into their ear drums. The oboe hands it to the concert master who gives it to the strings. Really, everyone should be tuned before they get on stage but it's good to check. Especially if someone has a new set of strings or something.

Laaaaaaaaaa...........

[Primula Baggins]

Plus backstage areas are often unheated, so instruments shrink on the way from the practice room to the stage, where they heat up and expand again under the lights. The flexing makes them lose their tuning.

[River]

So on occasion the youth orchestra was part of would play in Meany Hall on the UW campus. Fine. But our Green Room was in Kane Hall, across Red Square. So we'd have to hump our tuned instruments outside, across a couple dozen yards of brick, and back into a new building. We didn't like it. We were concerned about our instruments. The youth orchestra season coincided with the school year and the school year coincided with the 3/4 of the year Seattle is grey and dripping.

Those of us who could bundled our preciouses under our coats or kept a wrap around them. The cellists and the bassists were pretty screwed, though they typically solved their problems by putting their coats directly on their instruments. But oh, how we hated playing in Meany just for that reason.

[Crucifer]

Recently, the Irish Youth Orchestra have stopped tuning in practice rooms and just tuned on stage. It makes far more sense...

[Frelga]

See, this is a useful exercise for me. I have no clue whatsoever what the bloody blazes you guyz are on about.

Ah, good, I'm not alone! *clings to vison*

[Inanna]

See, this is a useful exercise for me. I have no clue whatsoever what the bloody blazes you guyz are on about.

Ah, good, I'm not alone! *clings to vison*

*clings to vison and frelga*

[yovargas]

*bellyflops the gal's dogpile*

[Padme]

Great now the treble clef and reeds are all mixed up.