Good tuning is the seminal requirement of all classical music-making. For singers and instrumentalists, it means the finding and consistent use of similar pitches so that the performing ensemble is mutually ΓÇ£in tuneΓÇ¥. This quality is also called good intonation.
In the simplest example, if a soprano and tenor are singing a duet, and both finish on a top A, they need to produce a note of the same frequency. If they donΓÇÖt, the joint effect will both grate on the ear and produce a muffled or mushy sound. This is because two slightly different concurrent frequencies produce sound wave patterns that cancel out some elements of each other.
If you have a piano, try playing a loud octave. If your piano is recently tuned, the resultant sound will be clear and consistent. If it is out of tune there will be a noticeable beat in the sound, and the overall effect is not as bright and clear. The two notes of the octave should produce two sound wave patterns that can lock into, and reinforce each other. If one or other note is not accurately tuned, thus making an imprecise octave, the waves of pressure and release produced in the air are out of synch with each other, and create a distorted pattern. This creates a diminished and unclear impact on the ear.
