Relief for common intonation ailments in beginning string orchestra

 

My beginners are learning to play in the key of G major and it can be a real struggle to get a good C natural with a high F sharp.  We are learning 'Fiddles on Fire' where there are a lot of C naturals and they have been out of tune!  I found some tiny fine-mist spray bottles at Hobby Lobby and quickly made labels to create 100% Genuine C# Repellent.  I also bought some silly string and didn't have time to make labels, but I told students the silly string was the 'heavy duty' version of intonation repellent.

Here's how it went in rehearsal....I told students I invented a new product that would cure their intonation struggles.  C# repellent - (just tap water!)  I tasked students with playing a few measures from Fiddles on Fire while making sure they played accurate C naturals in the passage.  I sprayed students who felt they needed the repellent.  My spray bottles had such a fine mist...I sprayed students if they wanted some on their left hand, or their face, or in their mouths if they wanted.  I also used it as a room mist and sprayed it around the room...just to be sure we were all clear of C sharps.  It helped students remember to watch for C naturals and listen to each other to match pitch.  My students immediately played so much better in tune!  I joked that I would have get out the 'heavy duty' intonation spray if things got really bad.  I used silly string for my heavy duty spray - and students WANTED to get sprayed.  I 'fixed' a few students and we laughed together and got back to work.  It was a fun way to keep students motivated and help clear up intonation issues in our music.