Orchestras must tune meticulously before each performance in order to sound good during rehearsal or performance. Tuning an orchestra is a difficult task, as two to three dozen musicians, all of whom play instruments of varying quality, must work together to make a note sound the same throughout the group. Musicians who are aware of the time required for tuning, the instruments required the piece, the sound of their instrument, important pitches, and proper preparation prior to taking the stage may find the process easier.
The pressure from the waiting audience often causes orchestras to rush through the tuning process. As a result, members of the orchestra interpret the oboe’s initial sound as a signal to play rather than a signal to listen. Even though oboes are capable of producing very consistent As, it can take a few seconds for the oboist, who is listening to the sound he is producing, to settle into the best, most solid, full tone he can make. This is a major problem for orchestra tuning. Although a good oboist produces a good sound quickly, members of an orchestra need time to internalize the oboist’s sound before attempting to tune.
Second, instrumentation can sometimes dictate the best orchestra tuning method. There is no oboist in a work that only calls for piano and strings, for example. In this case, the concertmaster should ideally take his A from the piano, which is unable to tune, and then pass it on to the rest of the group. Another example would be if the work contains a drone pitch, in which case the principal musician of the section playing the drone might want to sound the drone for tuning purposes. As a result, directors may want to be a little more flexible about who provides the tuning pitch, and all musicians should feel comfortable sounding the tuning reference pitch for the other members of the group.
The idea of timbre, or sound quality, is linked to the concept of orchestration in orchestra tuning. The oboe has a tone that is unlike any other instrument, despite being a stable instrument in terms of pitch. Because of timbre differences, some musicians find it much easier to tune with instruments from their own family. Although the oboe’s pitch could be used as a guide, the principals of each section would be in charge of tuning their own sections under this principle. If a piece truly highlights each section, this might be a good option.
The musician’s state of mind is a fourth issue with orchestra tuning. Even the most experienced professional musicians can experience adrenaline rushes and excitement before performing on stage. When tuning, it’s common to play too loudly, if not out of nervousness or adrenaline, then out of a subconscious desire to say something to the audience “I’ve arrived, and I’m ready to play! Take a look at how good I sound!” It’s a good idea not to let your emotions control what happens during the tuning process. Only play loudly enough to hear the tuning pitches clearly and with good tone.
Furthermore, different notes are more important to tune for different instruments. On a piccolo or flute, for example, having the upper range in tune is usually more important, whereas a clarinetist may want to check his throat tones. Check those pitches during the free-play that occurs before the oboist’s official concert A, or as soon as the other musicians have had a chance to tune their As. Although it is a good idea to “listen down” to each instrument family’s lowest pitches, some lower instruments, such as the bassoon, are less reliable for tuning purposes, so tune to whatever is consistent rather than range.
The final piece of concert tuning advice, though it may seem self-evident, is to get as close to “in tune” as possible before taking the stage. This is done so that on-stage tuning is kept to a minimum and takes less time to complete. The conductor, like the instrumentalists and the audience, does not want instruments out of tune, so he will wait until the tuning process is completed properly, but he still wants to be efficient and get to the music as soon as possible for the benefit of the audience.