The Duality of Settings: How the Acoustics of Different Audition Environments Necessitate a Two-Fold Preparation of Audition Excerpts

Abstract

It is widely known that intonation in live professional trombone auditions is one of the most critical factors for which execution is paramount. However, the musician who practices dutifully and precisely with a chromatic tuner, even to the point of technical mastery, will not be prepared sufficiently. He or she will find that in certain environments where heavy reverberation is present, the harmonies inadvertently created are not in tune, even when equal-tempered tuning is executed perfectly, due to the harmonic interactions that those reverberations create. Therefore, it is important that trombonists know how to play auditions excerpts with just intonation, a system that accounts for harmony to deliver results that are truly in tune, for use in the solo round of an audition in such an acoustically "wet" space. This document demonstrates the need for a solution in this regard, the factors involved in a practical application of these concepts in varying scenarios, and presents analyses in just intonation of ten of the most commonly requested excerpts. In addition, guidance and resources are provided for application beyond the excerpts that have been included. It is intended that the trombonist who reads this document will have a better understanding of the basics of just intonation as they apply to solo auditions, so that the quality of his or her audition is improved by leaving at least one less element, intonation, up to chance.