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The Art of Science of Mallet Instrument Tuning

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The Art of Science of Mallet Instrument Tuning The Art and Science of Mallet Instrument Tuning BY BILL YOUHASS he following are ideas and thoughts ultimately the bars “forget where they harmonic or partial is the fundamental, the I have put together over some time. belong.” This is especially true of wood second harmonic or partial is the octave, TThe ideas presented here are not bars, so I recommend keeping the bars as the third is the 12th, etc. “Overtones” refers too technical and definitely not complete, close as possible to a constant environment to pitches above the fundamental. I will but should act as a catalyst to help of 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 to 60 refer to middle C as C4. percussionists listen in a different way percent humidity. Octave stretching on mallet instruments to, and become closer with, their mallet- Additionally, all the bars on one is done for several reasons. One is that keyboard instruments. instrument are not affected the same. As the “Western” human ear tends to hear I retune the same instrument over many “perfect” octaves, double octaves, etc. in SOME BASICS years, I find the same bars move the same higher registers as flat and is generally The best practical technique found happier when higher octaves are so far to tune a fixed-pitch instrument “sharp.” Another grows out of the in such a way that it can be played physical characteristics of piano in all keys, or no key, is by “equal strings. Because piano strings are tempered” tuning. Because mallet very hard and are stretched tightly, percussion instruments are fixed- the overtones in a given string are pitch, like a piano, they are always sharp, and they get sharper as the “out of tune,” so tuning is both an art strings get shorter and are under and a science. What sounds in tune is increasing tension. This is called subjective, so the art is in tuning the “inharmonicity.” Simply stated, in bars in such a way that they sound in order for the ear to perceive octaves tune to the ears of most. The science as being “in tune,” which generally is in understanding the acoustics of means without any (or with very a rectilinear bar, and after making slow) “beats,” a piano tuner must decisions about the bars sounding in theoretically tune the fundamental tune, following through consistently on a given string to match the 2nd from bar to bar and instrument to partial on the string one octave instrument. But then the art comes lower, or be very close. This usually back again—sometimes subjective results in tuning that higher octave choices have to be made; sometimes “sharp” to match the lower string’s art trumps science. 2nd partial. For my own work, I have ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND PITCH developed an octave stretching How fast instruments go out of system that is a compromise, as is tune depends on the environmental all stretching, because there is no conditions in which they are kept and, right way. Many years ago, I spoke in the case of wood bars, the quality with and acoustically analyzed the of the wood and the original drying playing of many musicians, from process. Wood bars are more affected violinists, flutists, clarinetists, and over a long period of time than metal or way each time! This F#5 always goes up oboists to jazz guitarists. I also consulted synthetic bars and need to be tuned more a little; this A2 fundamental always drops with piano tuners, analyzed the tuning frequently. High humidity and heat cause a bit; the 10th partial on this D3 always of some fifty pianos from tiny spinets to bars to go flat, and low humidity and cold moves this way. Instruments in Arizona nine-foot grands, and read materials on cause them to go sharp, regardless of the often go sharp (dry and air-conditioned) the theory and practice of piano tuning, material. Ideal conditions are a consistent and those in Seattle often go flat (wet, wet, especially the question of stretching. temperature and humidity. If instruments wet, and maybe the spilled coffee). Even though there are differences in the are undergoing constant changes in acoustic properties of piano harmonics and environment, there is much greater stress OCTAVE STRETCHING mallet percussion harmonics, there must on the material, and the bars will be I would like to clarify several terms. be a similarity in the tuning of the two if repeatedly expanding and contracting, “Harmonic” and “partial” are similarly they are played together. However, while I absorbing and desorbing moisture. The defined and are used interchangeably have a consistent stretching system in use pitch goes up and down repeatedly and throughout this discussion. The first today, the final sound of the bars on each PERCUSSIVE NOTES 52 AUGUST 2007 If a marimba is not tuned for a long period example, C4, as they all depend on the bar dimensions the 4th partial and density. Whenever possible, these of time, it doesn’t go out of tune any faster of C2 (the harmonics must be tuned in such a lowest C on way that they do not interfere with the than if it is tuned more frequently; it a five-octave perceived tuning of the bar. marimba), just gets more painful to listen to. must CORRECTING OVERTONES match the When retuning existing bars, ideally the instrument is what is most important. So, fundamental tuner would like to be able to tune all the again the subjective nature of art comes of the C4 bar; the 10th partial, E5, must above-mentioned harmonics correctly, or back and what should work doesn’t always. match the fundamental on the E5 bar and to at least eliminate any dissonance that the 4th partial on the E3 bar. strong out-of-tune harmonics may cause. HARMONICS It would be thought provoking to see On post-1925 instruments, this is Until about 1926, mallet percussion what interest there would be in offering frequently possible with the “other” instruments with the older “in between harmonics, almost always possible with instruments were tuned without any intentionally tuned overtones. There was 10th partial” tuning, as there are strong 1st, 3rd (xylophones), and 4th partials, one pitch tuned on each bar (the first arguments that this older tuning avoided and sometimes possible with 10th partials. mode of vibration or the fundamental) and some of the pitfalls of “true” 10th partial It depends on the quality of the original each bar contained whatever overtones tuning. tuning. This is not a big problem on the happened to occur as a result of cutting better, newer instruments (and I emphasize OTHER HARMONICS the arch to tune the fundamental pitch. “the better”), as these makers have very At this time the J.C. Deagan Company There are also other harmonics that good in-house tuners and small corrections began tuning marimbas with a harmonic occur naturally. “Torsional” and “out can be made. However, a number of two octaves above the fundamental of phase transverse harmonics” are two companies are not as careful when tuning (4th partial), which revolutionized the examples. These various “extra” harmonics overtones because, well, it just takes too sound of mallet percussion in regards to are popularly known as edge tone, side-tone, long. Sometimes these mistakes can be color and intonation. Deagan also began wolf tone, etc. They are most significantly a corrected and sometimes they cannot. tuning vibraphones with a 4th partial and problem on marimbas in several ranges— Pre-1926 instruments are a different xylophones with a 3rd partial—an octave C2 to A3, from about E4 to B4, and from situation. For example, those great pre- and a 5th above the fundamental. (You about F6 to C7, on vibes from F3 to G4, 1926 Deagan and Leedy xylophones may have a four-octave xylophone with the and on xylophones from about C4 to C5 had no intentionally tuned overtones, as lowest 5th or octave tuned in octaves, but I and from about F7 to C8. On glockenspiels mentioned above. Sometimes it is possible have to stop somewhere.) there sometimes can be problems between to tune a pitch to the 3rd partial (“5ths” If you listen to these post-1925 about C5 to F5. or so-called “quint” tuning) but again, it marimbas (see “Assignment” at the end Don’t take these ranges too seriously depends. There is also a certain character of this article), you may also hear a pitch approximating the 10th partial, but not the naturally occurring 10th partial in the harmonic series, which would have been an octave and a major third. Rather, you will hear a pitch that will usually vary from a sharp minor 3rd to a flat major 3rd. On most post-1925 marimbas you will find at least one tuned partial in addition to the fundamental between the range of C2 (or lower) and somewhere between C5 and A5. Contrary to the older Deagan and Leedy marimbas, most manufacturers today tune a major third, the “true” 10th partial. (Several makers are also now tuning the 20th partial, which is an octave above the 10th partial, where possible.) There is a definite, striking difference in timbre in these different ways of tuning. One very important issue in tuning the overtones on a given bar is that they must match the same pitches on higher bars (this does not refer to those “in between” 10th partials on older Deagans, etc.). For PERCUSSIVE NOTES 53 AUGUST 2007 NEED CASH FOR SCHOOL? NEW PERCUSSION GEAR? AND BUILD YOUR RESUME ALL AT THE SAME TIME? THEN BE A MEMBER OF THE PASIC 2007 LOGISTICS TEAM.
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