Oh that pesky E-flat.
sharp, sharp, sharp.
Play it sharp often enough and it starts to sound right.
How could that tuner be right? It sounds so wrong!
Maybe we should spend some time playing it flat on purpose.
Actually, I've heard of a trumpet teacher who made his freshman play F (on a B-flat trumpet) using it 1st and 3rd valves. This would be like playing the E-flat in regular 6th position...nice and flat.
After a semester of this, perhaps the ear is retrained?
Maybe trombonists need to spend a similar period of time in an E-flat "gulag," or "re-education camp" playing the note flat to retrain the ear.
Perhaps as the camp commandant reviews the trombone prisoners during their "re-education" they could play the "Ruffles and Flourishes" fanfare with the E-flats getting lower and lower.
Like this
(ouch)
Maybe we should spend some time playing it flat on purpose.
Actually, I've heard of a trumpet teacher who made his freshman play F (on a B-flat trumpet) using it 1st and 3rd valves. This would be like playing the E-flat in regular 6th position...nice and flat.
After a semester of this, perhaps the ear is retrained?
Maybe trombonists need to spend a similar period of time in an E-flat "gulag," or "re-education camp" playing the note flat to retrain the ear.
Perhaps as the camp commandant reviews the trombone prisoners during their "re-education" they could play the "Ruffles and Flourishes" fanfare with the E-flats getting lower and lower.
Like this
(ouch)
