do the violin and oboe play different roles in tuning an orchestra?

Question

i am wondering can a violin or oboe tune an orchestra or do they do different things, i have a feeling that the oboe gets them to the right pitch and and violin tunes the orchestra into the key needed.

also do orchestras always tune on stage or do they do most of it back stage. i went to a concert or friday night and it sounded as if they were tuning up backstage, was this practicing or tuning

Answer 1

Im an oboist and you have to do it on stage- key being, temperature is different and wood reacts to it. Tuning would be off by the time they move. If you heard music back stage, they could have just been playing and warming up.

Answer 2

As was said, the oboe gives the A. If an orchestra is playing a piece for only strings, the concertmaster will give the A. Only beginner level orchestras need anything else.



Musicians do their preliminary tuning backstage, then do a final tuning on stage. They also warm up backstage. The temperature may be different on stage making the pitch vary somewhat, so the final tuning in professional groups is always done on stage.

Answer 3

Any musician that needs to be "tuned into the key needed" is playing by ear. Badly.



The oboe is used to tune the orchestra because it is easily heard. The oboe will tune to a digital tuner (or a tuning fork if they're feeling old fashioned) and play a concert A (440hz) and everyone will tune to that note. A is used because it's an open string on all string instruments - you have to tune to an open string or else it might be your fingers in the wrong place.



Orchestras will tune backstage first as it can take several minutes to get an instrument in tune. Many instruments need warming up - flutes and brass instruments will get slightly bigger once they're played as the metal expands as it gets warmer.



HOWEVER, in places where the orchestra or band isn't professional and they're playing with a pianist, people will tune to the piano. The piano may be slightly out of tune (because they're not professional they can't get it regularly tuned) and as it is impossible to retune it quickly it's easier if everyone plays slightly 'off', but in with each other - rather than have an out of tune piano.

Answer 4

The Philadelphia Orchestra is known for its rich violin section, developed originally by Leopold Stokowski and honed by Eugene Ormandy for many years. They have a website. Note some music commentators prefer a drier, less sonorous sound from orchestras, especially for Mozart, Hayden and other earlier composers.