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.
Technorati Tags: Oboe Humor, Symphony Orchestra Humor, Tuning, A-440, String Players, Classical Music, Musical Instruments, High Noon, Flute, Bassoon, Pitch
November 26th, 2006 at 7:09 pm
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.
November 26th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
Yeah, but double reed players … uh … never mind.
November 28th, 2006 at 2:38 am
Learn something new every day . . . had no idea.
December 1st, 2006 at 3:04 pm
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…
December 1st, 2006 at 3:45 pm
LOL, Nelumbo. YOu’re in very sharp company.
October 18th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
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
October 18th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
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!
April 5th, 2008 at 11:12 am
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.