Re: Eberhard's intonation...

["Steve Lawson" <steve@steve-lawson.co.uk>]

> Good question, Tim. Looking at lines (like frets) causes people to
> perceive  the fingerboard as a finite matrix consisting of a finite 
>number
> of 'pitches' which are/should be located in the same place all of the
time.
> Playing between the lines is not the same thing as "using intonation" as 
>a
> compositional/improvisational device. On the other hand, if the player
> isn't looking at the fingerboard/lines, what's the point in having them?
> Note that i said that it's the 'looking' that causes the damage. Also,
this
> concept only really applies to music that isn't locked into 12 pitches to
> the octave equal temperament.
>
> Hope this clears things up a little.

Sort of, though I still can't see how 'looking' causes damage - sure,
there's a tendency amongst musicians who play lined fretless to play in
standard intonation... because there is amongst 'most' musicians... I've
certainly found that the lines make it fairly easy for me to accurately
reproduce notes outside of that matrix - knowing that a note is a few cents
flat of where the line tells you, because you want a more in tune seventh,
or third or whatever, is certainly going to be no harder than just 
'feeling'
it, and probably (definitely in my case) a heck of a lot easier. I've not
experimented much with extended intonation, but where I have, the lines 
have
proved crucial to me being able to reproduce it time after time, without
spending weeks and weeks playing the same thing just to be able to do it in
tune.

The classical players I know who have got REALLY good intonation (which is
very few of the classical players I know), have spent years playing
scales/arps/etc. in order to train their muscle memory. If I had to do 
that,
I'd do it. However, it seems to me that lines make it a lot easier...

I always thought that the only reason for not having lines on a Cello or 
URB
is that the bridge moves, but apparently that's not true either... so I
can't see any reason not to... ;o) I'll certainly be getting my Cello lined
if I ever get round to using it in earnest - at the moment it's got pencil
lines on it, but I'll get big bright white ones so I can't miss them.

Steve
www.stevelawson.net