The second violins missed the D sharp again. It seems like every time you hit that note, it’s out of tune. You go to the piano and play the note for them. They play it back, still out of tune.
Teaching Intonation Part 4: Finger Patterns


The second violins missed the D sharp again. It seems like every time you hit that note, it’s out of tune. You go to the piano and play the note for them. They play it back, still out of tune.

Any intonation training needs to start with pitch matching. Until students can match unison pitches, they’ll never be able to tune their instruments, let alone play in tune as an ensemble. Pitch matching should be one of the first things

We’ve all experienced it. You’ve felt the frustration that comes when the violas missed the C sharp yet again, even though you’ve gone over it at least a dozen times. You’ve cringed through those elementary or middle school concerts –