Tuning & intonation · 2 min read
Intonation for Wind Players: Hearing and Fixing Pitch
How to practise intonation with drones and tuners, why chords need pure thirds and fifths, and practical ways to raise or lower notes on woodwinds.
Updated · Tonehole editors
Tuning the instrument gets you in the right neighbourhood. Intonation — placing each note exactly where it belongs in the music — is a skill you build with your ears. Here is a practical approach.
Use a drone more than a needle#
A tuner tells you whether a single note matches equal temperament. A drone teaches you to hear pitch relationships, which is what really matters in an ensemble. Use the tone generator:
- Sustain the tonic of your scale as a drone.
- Play the scale slowly against it, holding each note.
- Listen for beats — a slow wobble that means two pitches are slightly apart. Adjust until the beats disappear.
Pure intervals vs. equal temperament#
In chords, good ensembles drift towards pure (just) intervals, which differ from the piano:
| Interval in a chord | Pure ratio | Difference from equal temperament |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect fifth | 3 : 2 | about +2 cents (slightly higher) |
| Major third | 5 : 4 | about −14 cents (noticeably lower) |
| Minor third | 6 : 5 | about +16 cents (higher) |
| Minor seventh (dominant 7th) | 7 : 4 | about −31 cents |
So if you hold the third of a major chord, lower it slightly; the third of a minor chord, raise it. Compare systems on our temperaments page.
How to change pitch on a woodwind#
- Air and voicing: a higher tongue position ("ee") and faster air raise the pitch; a lower tongue ("oh") and an open throat lower it.
- Embouchure: firmer corners and a little more lower-lip pressure raise pitch — but avoid biting.
- Alternate fingerings: adding or removing fingers (for example, right-hand "resonance" fingers on clarinet throat notes) shifts pitch by a few cents.
- Dynamics: most woodwinds tend to go flat as they get softer and sharp as they get louder (flute especially). Practise crescendos and diminuendos against a drone.
Build a tendency chart#
Play each note of your range at three dynamics and write down the cents deviation. Patterns appear quickly — and so do the fixes.
How many cents out of tune is noticeable?#
Under good conditions most listeners notice differences of about 5–10 cents in sustained notes, and less when two instruments play together because of beating.
Should I play in tune with the tuner or with the group?#
Use the tuner to set up the instrument and learn its tendencies; in the ensemble, listen and match the chord and the players around you.
Tools: chromatic tuner · drone generator · frequency calculator.