Posted by bloke on March 02, 2004 at 09:23:52:
In Reply to: Tuning Methodolgy posted by Ryan Close on March 02, 2004 at 08:59:49:
The whole thing is a compromise, and - beyond standard tuning routines - depends on a particular instrument's quirks along with the piece or passage you are about to play.
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Here are a couple of examples, and these are only two of dozens of considerations when tuning a tuba:
A good example of tuning an instrument around its "quirks" is the Willson 2900 euphonium. With the "tuning note" (middle register Bb and A) being a little flatter than everything else on the instrument - yet (fortunately) quite flexible - I tune those instruments with the so-called "tuning note" a little flat so that almost everything else comes close to lining up right.
On many (CC) tubas, 2-3 Eb and Ab's don't agree with each other (BBb tuba: Db and Gb's). Which of these pitches are more prominent in the passage? How badly does favoring the more prominent pitches effect the other passing pitches?