Give Me An “A!” (Limerick)
Give Me An “A!”
By Madeleine Begun Kane
When symphony instruments tune,
They’re not matching the flute or bassoon;
It’s the first oboe’s “A”
That the strings must obey.
If they don’t, be prepared for High Noon.
On a more serious … uh … note, here’s some info that might make this limerick a bit more meaningful to some of you: Symphony orchestras tune to the first oboist, who generally gives his fellow musicians an A-440. Many string players prefer a slightly sharper pitch, an A-442 or A-444, believing that it gives their sound a more desirable brightness. This can lead to lots of bickering.
You can find more of my music related humor here.
Tags: A-440, Bassoon, Classical Music, Flute, High Noon, Musical Instruments, Oboe Humor, Pitch, String Players, Symphony Orchestra Humor, Tuning
The really good orchestras just let the principal trumpet set the pitch. That’s the instrument the masses want to hear anyway. Chicks dig brass.
Yeah, but double reed players … uh … never mind.
Learn something new every day . . . had no idea.
Huh, I often think the oboe sounds a bit flat, but I didn’t know it was common for us pesky string players to think that…
LOL, Nelumbo. YOu’re in very sharp company.
That’s sincerely interesting, but more so, very well-written! I truly adore good rhyme. I’ll have to share some of my rhymes with you some time.
And on another “note”….
Some of my favorite pieces for Oboe (which I love) are in The Mikado. :)
~S
Thanks Shephard! I look forward to it!
I agree about The Mikado. Many years ago I played in the Village Light Opera’s orchestra and had a great time playing Gilbert & Sullivan!
You are right! I do like this one. When I hear a tuning pitch in my head, however, I hear a B-flat because I never played with an orchestra, only for wind bands. But we still set the pitch.