Intonation in Ensemble String Performance

Abstract

In ensemble string performance, when no open strings are used, players are entirely dependent on their adaptation to the forces exerted by the tonal world when it is put to artistic uses. The tendency of tones to group themselves around a main tone with varying degrees of dependency upon it, the natural acoustical laws governing simultaneously sounding tones of different pitch, and the dynamics of melodic and harmonic progression all effect intonation. The degree to which each one influences the intonation of a given passage is dependent on the degree to which the passage permits each of these considerations to operate. Specially designed apparatus has made it possible to determine the pitches of all tones in all parts and hence the sizes of all harmonic and melodic intervals from a single performance of a musical selection. It is possible now to show how the forces described in the foregoing actually influenced the pitches of tones in the case of performances by three different string trios.