Still No Excuses

Like a lot of string players, I spend quite a bit of time trying to play in tune. I realized pretty early on that there were lots of factors involved, and in fact it’s really an endless quest from a purely mathematical standpoint. Over the years some of my colleagues (especially pianists) dismissed my efforts as a little too obsessive (and maybe not all that successful), but a recent article indicates I’m not so crazy after all. At least about that subject.Jan Swafford recently posted this article for Slate, and I found it fascinating. I’d encourage any musician to read it closely (despite its length) and quit picking on all of us obsessive types who keep trying to play “in tune” no matter the cost. Incidentally, M. Swafford also wrote a terrificĀ biography of Brahms that I think is also required reading.

And if the article is too much science for you, here’s a different sort of math quiz.

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