Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Drone Tones: Guided Practice

A Companion Document of Explanations and Exercises

Raymond C. M. Johnson
Copyright 2011 by Raymond C. M. Johnson. Version 1.1
All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Acknowledgements
To all family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers who have enriched my life with kindness,
generosity, and love - you are a source of inspiration, and be sure that any fruits of my labor will
nourish you in return.
To fellow musicians and students of the arts - thank you for all of your contributions. Without
you, this work would not be possible.
Id also like to extend my deepest gratitude to the readers of this book and all those whose
dedication and passionate work in the arts help to move humanity forward.
Marina, thanks for the time you spent editing and proofreading this book. Your concision knows
no bounds!

About the Author

Raymond Johnson is a musician whos passion lies in providing inspiration through philosophy,
education, and art. As a saxophonist, Raymond has performed with various bands including
Soul Track Mind and Chesterfield. Raymond also holds a Bachelors of Science degree in
Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
To download the companion Drone Tones album, please visit http://
music.raymondcmjohnson.com.
For more information please visit http://www.raymondcmjohnson.com

Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Table of Contents
Introduction!

A Primer on Pitch!

Absolute Pitch!

Relative Pitch!

Temperaments and Just Tuning!

The Just Scale!

Temperaments!

Just and Equal Tempered Scales: Subtle Differences!

Tunings in Practice!

Drone Tone Exercises!

10

Suggestions!

11

Preparation!

11

Exercise 1: Unison Drone Tones!

11

Exercise 2: Interval Long Tones!

12

Exercise 3: Long Tone Scales!

14

Exercise 4: Interval Exercises!

15

Exercise 5: Arpeggios!

16

Exercise 6: Harmonic Series!

16

Exercise 7: Pitch Variations!

17

Exercise 8: Tonal blending!

18

Create and Improvise!

18

Perfect Pitch: Journey and Destination!

19

References !

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Introduction
I came across the concept of practicing to drones through exploring various types of
cultural music and a strong desire to improve my intonation and inner ear. Drones
became such an effective addition to my practice routine that I soon found myself
researching the topic with a growing desire to share my discoveries with others.
Drone Tones: Guided Practice is intended for musicians who are well versed in the
fundamental concepts of music theory and the playing techniques of their instrument.
Reading music, familiarity with scales and intervals, and basic arithmetic are all required
for understanding the explanations and instructions presented in this book.

A Primer on Pitch
In music, pitch is an arbitrary way of organizing audible frequencies. Of course, pitch
also exists objectively in reality through sounds such as bird calls and whale songs, but
the pitches used in music are merely subjective groupings of frequency. Alternatively,
the note names given to the audible frequency spectrum are analogous to the names of
color given to sections of the visible light spectrum.
Pitch may be further separated into the categories of discrete pitch and dynamic
pitch. Discrete pitches are those that may be described by objective mathematical
ratios or specific scalar intervals.
Examples of discrete pitch include:
A 440 HZ tone.
the major fifth of the C Major scale
4:3 (the fourth of a major scale expressed as a proportion with the tonic)
Any deviations from a discrete pitch are called dynamic pitches. Musicians may
accidentally perform dynamic pitch when they are out of tune with a digital tuners
reference tone or when adjusting to a tuning note created by a symphonys principal
oboe. However, many professional instrumentalists often use small variations in pitch to
either match each others intonation, or play slightly out of tune for musical effect.
Dynamic pitch includes:
the pitch of a singer who is flat in relation to her piano accompaniment
pitch embellishments such as blue notes (see p. 18)
certain notes of wind instruments that may be inherently sharp or flat
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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Absolute Pitch
Absolute pitch (or perfect pitch) is the skill of identifying or producing a musical note
without any external reference. Since many people may own their own sing or hum a
popular song in its correct key, it seems that formal musical training is not required to
posses absolute pitch. With an education in music, however, those with absolute pitch
may sing a song a cappella true to its written key or correctly transcribe a melody by
ear.
Other examples of absolute pitch include:
identifying the notated key of a musical piece with the ears alone
naming the pitches of non-musical tones such as chalkboard screeches or sirens

Relative Pitch
Relative pitch is the skill one uses to hear, identify, and produce a given note in the
presence of a reference tone such as a drone. While absolute pitch is a sought skill for
many musicians, relative pitch is not only easier to develop, but is in many ways more
practical than studying absolute pitch. Vocalists, fretless stringed instrumentalists, and
brasswind players must posses varying degrees of relative pitch in order to play their
respective instruments in tune. Moreover, relative pitch discernment greatly augments
the skills of any musician.
Solfege training is an effective approach to improving relative pitch and is the primary
method of formal ear training for vocalists. Another effective method to improve relative
pitch is through diligent practice and performance with a drone.

Temperaments and Just Tuning

The Just Scale
Just intonation is a musical tuning system consisting of a series of discrete pitches that
are created from a single note using simple ratios. For example, in a justly tuned C
Major scale, the frequency of G is related to C by the ratio 3:2 - the frequency of G is
1.5 times the frequency of C. More broadly speaking, in justly tuned systems the fifth is
related to the tonic by 3/2.
Each remaining interval of the C Major scale is defined similarly as shown in the table
below.

Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

1:1

9:8

5:4

4:3

3:2

5:3

15:8

2:1

Relationships of the C Major Just Scale

Using just intonation, one may create a diatonic scale in any key using a tonic pitch and
the same ratios shown in the figure above. It is also possible to construct a twelve tone
chromatic scale in a similar way. However, the frequency of each note in the just scale
changes depending on the tonic it is constructed from. For example, a justly tuned scale
based on F contains different tuning relationships than the C scale above.

C#

D#

F#

G#

A#

1:1

16:15

9:8

6:5

5:4

4:3

45:32

3:2

8:5

5:3

9:5

15:8

12 tone justly tuned C scale

Analogously, instruments in just intonation are considered optimized for playing in a

specific key. Once the instrument is played in a different key, the optimization fails and
the only way to recover the perfect intervals of just intonation is to retune the instrument
to the chosen key. Details about the cause of these discrepancies, the syntonic comma,
is beyond the scope of this text, but more information may be found in the listed
readings of the References section at the end of this document.
The following instruments make primary use of the just scale:
human voice
fretless stringed instruments such as the violin and cello
wind instruments using dynamic pitch

Temperaments
To counteract the tuning discrepancies among keys created by the just scale, musicians
have created alternate tuning systems called temperaments. Temperaments allow
musicians to freely change keys by sacrificing the pure interval relationships of just
intonation.

Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Incorporating temperament grants musicians a method of balancing the pitch sensitivity

of the human ear with convenient musical instrument performance and design.

The most popular form of temperament in modern music is equal temperament where
each note is derived by dividing an octave into twelve equal sections - one for each note
of the chromatic scale. Thus the piano along with many other instruments that use equal
temperament are freely able to change keys which makes them easier to play and much
more versatile.
While some consider the equal tempered scales lack of stability as a disadvantage, its
subtle dissonances can add an air of excitement and unpredictable energy to music.

Note

C#

D#

F#

G#

Cents

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

A#

1000 1100 1200

Equal Tempered Tuning in Cents

The following instruments make use of equal temperament tuning:

Piano
Keyboard
Fretted instruments such as the guitar
Marimbas and xylophones
There are other forms of temperament that balance key modulation with perfect
intervals. Once such method called Hermode tuning performs dynamic manipulation of
electrical instrument pitch. The Hermode software analyzes each note or chord on the
fly and makes alterations to meet any desired pitch changes - just as a live musician
would do during a performance. Thus, Hermode tuning can combine the pure sound of
just intonation and still offer the versatility of temperament. Soon technology in the same
spirit as Hermode may ensure the replacement of the ubiquitous equal tempered scale
with an improved system that eliminates compromising.

Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Just and Equal Tempered Scales: Subtle Differences

Naturally, human ears hear in just intonation while equal temperament is mainly a
product of mechanical design. The ear easily recognizes the unstable warbling created
by out of tune instruments that are attempting to play the same note. Vocalists and
instrumentalists who hear such instability subconsciously gravitate toward warble-free
just intonation. Only through careful listening and focus can musicians recreate the
subtle instability of equal temperament.
Equal temperament attempts to match the musical relationships of just intonation as
closely as possible. The subtle differences between the two systems may significantly
affect the mood and sound of music.The instability of equal tempered tuning may add
energy to music while the harmony of just intonation may tend toward a meditative
atmosphere. A detailed comparison of the 12-tone justly tuned C scale and equal
tempered chromatic scale is shown below.

Note

Just Tuned Ratio

Just Tuning - cents

Eq. Temp. - cents

Difference

1:1

C#

16:15

111.73

100

-11.73

9:8

203.91

200

-3.91

D#

6:5

315.64

300

-15.64

5:4

386.31

400

13.69

4:3

498.04

500

1.96

F#

45:32

582.51

600

17.49

3:2

701.96

700

-1.96

G#

8:5

813.69

800

-13.69

5:3

884.36

900

15.64

A#

9:5

968.83

1000

31.17

15:8

1088.27

1100

11.73

Tuning differences of the 12-tone just tuned C scale and the equal tempered
chromatic scale

Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

The smallest difference between the two scales are in Western musics most crucial
intervals - the fourth and fifth. The largest pitch deviations are averaged between each
remaining note with A#, the minor seventh of the C scale, having the most notable
difference.

C Just Tuning vs Equal Temperment

40
31.17

30
17.49

cents

20

15.64

13.69

11.73

10
0

1.96

-1.96

-3.91

-10
-11.73

-20

-13.69

-15.64

C#

D#

F#

G#

A#

note

Additionally, one may also observe that equal tempered minor seconds, minor thirds,
and minor sixths are slightly flat; and major thirds, augmented fourths, major sixths,
major sevenths, and minor sevenths are sharp. Although these tuning differences are
based on a just tuned scale in C, the discrepancies would remain the same for a justly
tuned scale in any other key.

Tunings in Practice
Knowing the differences between just and tempered tuning helps a musician play with
more accurate intonation. When playing with a piano or electric guitar, a vocalist will
probably match the pitches of equal tempered tuning to sound in tune with her band.
On the contrary, a group of dynamically pitched instrumentalists such as a choir, string
ensemble, or brass quintet may freely play with just intonation.

Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Most wind instruments tread the middle ground between just tuning and equal
temperament. In order to achieve the same regularity between musical keys and the
ease of construction found in keyboards and pianos, wind instruments (particularly
woodwinds) are engineered with an equal tempered design. However, experienced wind
instrumentalists may freely adjust their pitch to use just intonation or equal temperament
via techniques such as manipulating their embouchure or maneuvering a tuning slide.
In general when playing with an equal tempered instrument such as piano or electric
guitar, all musicians default to equal temperament. Just tuning is used when all
musicians in an ensemble are capable of just intonation. Nevertheless, these guidelines
are not etched in stone and any combination of tunings may be brought forward to
create ones desired musical sound.

Drone Tone Exercises

The primary use of the Drone Tones album is to increase skills in relative pitch and
musical expression by fostering pitch accuracy and flexibility.
Accuracy involves consistently producing ones intended pitch. Whether playing alone
or in an ensemble, accuracy is extremely important in delivering music to an audience.
Even though a soloist has no one else to play in tune with, inaccurate tuning may cause
some notes to unpleasantly infringe upon a listener.
Before becoming adept in pitch flexibility, one must first gain control through developing
accuracy. By internalizing interval relationships and minute tuning variations, one may
transfer the sounds heard in the mind to the muscular movements that produce those
same sounds through the instrument.
Flexibility allows musicians to match another tuning system or musician via small
adjustments in pitch. Flexibility is critical in group performance when one must tune to
multiple musicians. It is also important when adapting to environmental conditions that
effect instrument intonation such as temperature and humidity. With flexibility, musicians
may also perform embellishments such as blue notes, slurs, and pitch bends.

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Suggestions
The following list of Drone Tone exercises build upon each other in difficulty. They
begin with studies in pitch accuracy and move toward studies of flexibility.
Mastery of each exercise is not required before moving on, but you will most
likely not be able to successfully complete an exercise before gaining
competence with its prerequisites.
Even if youre not a vocalist, singing the exercises may help you develop and
refine your inner ear and sense of pitch.
Initially perform the exercises without vibrato. Introduce vibrato only when you
become competent with each exercise.
Retain your sense of musical creativity in order to keep practice spontaneous
and stimulating. Since these exercises are only meant as guides, take the
opportunity to explore your own studies or add variations to the exercises as you
see fit.
Disciplined, frequent practice will lead to steady progress and lasting results. Try
to practice as much as your schedule allows in order to gain and retain progress
in relative pitch. Before each practice, remember and take pride in the gains you
made during previous sessions. Use these achievements as momentum to push
yourself forward.
Balance discipline with patience and understanding. If you are bored, it may be
time to try a different exercise or work on something else entirely. If you become
fatigued or continually fail to make progress, taking a break may give your body
and mind the time it needs to process your practice routines into mental and
muscle memory banks. Begin practice again only when you are ready and have
the desire to do so.

Preparation
Before each Drone Tone practice session, warm-up your instrument and tune it to A =
440 Hz.. You may also want to use the repeat function of your song player to stay on a
specific drone for an extended time.

Exercise 1: Unison Drone Tones

Play extended notes or long tones in unison with the drone while listening for any beats
or warbling. The beatings indicate that your pitch is out of tune. The more rapid the
beatings, the further away your pitch is from the drones pitch. Therefore, your goal with
this exercise is to minimize any warbling while also maintaining a uniform and pleasant
tone quality.

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Initially, concentrate on performing long tones in the most comfortable range of your
instrument.

A C long tone in the middle range

Nextexpand to higher and lower octaves while checking for any tuning variations.

Long tones on low and high C

Once you can reasonably match the pitch of each drone tone while using the full range
of your instrument, move forward to the next exercise.

Exercise 2: Interval Long Tones

Play long tone intervals against the drones. While doing this exercise, listen for the
distinct character of each of interval.
Does the interval sound happy, exciting, somber, mellow, uplifting, mysterious, or
startling?
Does the interval remind you of specific colors, memories, or other types of
mental imagery?
Do any of the intervals remind you of familiar songs?

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Start with perfect intervals of fourths and fifths.

left to right: perfect fourth and perfect fifth in C

Once you are comfortable with fourths and fifths, move on to thirds and sixths.

left to right: major third and major sixth in C

Next focus on playing the seconds and the sevenths.

left to right: major second and major seventh in C

Lastly, explore interval variations such as the minor second, minor third, augmented
fourth (tritone), minor sixth, and minor seventh.

top to bottom, left to right: minor second, minor third,

augmented fourth, augmented fifth, and minor seventh in C

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

With practice, you will begin to associate moods with the intervals, which will help
increase your understanding of melodies and chords along with how they relate musical
expression. Move forward once you are confident that you have internalized the sound
of each interval for each drone across the range of your instrument.

Exercise 3: Long Tone Scales

Play various types of long tone scales over each drone:
major
natural, melodic, or harmonic minor
whole tone
pentatonic, blues, diminished, etc.

Example Scale Exercises - top to bottom: C major scale, C natural minor scale,
C whole tone scale

Focus on sound quality rather than speed and dexterity for this exercise. Pay careful
attention to the character of each note, and be sure you achieve the same quality of
intonation and feeling that was achieved in Exercise 2.
If you notice any notes that are individually out of tune, practice them separately, then
gradually add the neighboring notes until you can play the entire scale confidently and
in tune with the drone.
Aim to play several scales for each drone along the full range of your instrument with
accurate intonation and a pleasing, uniform tone quality.

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Exercise 4: Interval Exercises

Practice a combination of scales and intervals in the same key as the drone. Initially,
you may try series of ascending and descending seconds, thirds, and fourths from the
scale of your choice. Starting with small simple intervals then gradually increasing the
width and complexity of each interval is suggested.

ascending major thirds in C

ascending fourths in C

Next, progress towards larger intervals such as fifths, sixths, sevenths, and octaves.

ascending fifths in C

Also try series of minor thirds, minor sevenths, minor sixths, or any other complex
interval while ascending and descending a given scale.

ascending minor thirds

In time, you may become comfortable practicing with an increase in tempo or with
altering rhythms, articulation, and even improvisation. In all cases, remember to strive
for accuracy and a clear tone along your instruments full range. Slow down or isolate
problem areas if you notice any loss of control.

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Since this exercise involves multiple intervals based upon multiple scales in all twelve
keys, there is plenty of ground to cover! However, remember that the goal is to master
relative pitch and intonation rather than play an arbitrary scale pattern in each key.
Once you are able to play a wide variety of successive intervals with accurate intonation
and good tone quality, then it is time to move forward to the next exercise.

Exercise 5: Arpeggios
In the same spirit as the previous exercise, begin adding various arpeggios based on
your preferred scales. Keep tone quality and intonation with the tonic at the forefront of
your practice while playing various arpeggios up and down the full range of your
instrument.

Arpeggios in C - left to right: C major, C minor, C diminished, C major

7th, C dominant 7th

Exercise 6: Harmonic Series

The harmonic (or overtone) series consists of a pattern of natural harmonics based
upon a fundamental pitch. In a method nearly identical to the just scale, each note of the
harmonic series is related to a fundamental pitch using a series of mathematical
proportions.
The harmonic series is as follows.
first harmonic: the tonic or fundamental pitch
second harmonic: the octave of the fundamental
third harmonic: a perfect fifth and an octave above the fundamental
fourth harmonic: two octaves above the fundamental
fifth harmonic: two octaves and a major third above the fundamental
Further research may be required in order to play the harmonic series on your specific
instrument. For example, brasswind instruments inherently use the harmonic series to
produce notes while most woodwinds require special fingerings and embouchure
technique to play the series correctly.
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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

C Harmonic Series

Play the series while using each drone as the fundamental pitch. Strive for accurate
intonation for each note. Initially, patience may help with this exercise because you may
only be able to reach the second or third harmonic. However, with practice, you will
encounter less difficulty in reaching the higher harmonics.
Consider yourself competent in this exercise once you are able to play up the fourth
harmonic accurately and in tune. However, the harmonic series goes on indefinitely.
Many instruments are capable of reaching the 7th and 8th harmonics and beyond. Move
forward once you can perform this exercise as competently as the others.

Exercise 7: Pitch Variations

Play any desired combination of the previous exercises while altering your pitch a
quarter step sharp or flat. Take note of the changes that occur in the sound of the
interval. You may notice increasing instability as you make a note sharp or flat in relation
the drone.
By completing this exercise on a variety of intervals throughout the full range of your
instrument, you will gain the flexibility needed to vary your pitch at whim. As stated
earlier, one example of pitch embellishment is the blue note. Blue notes are performed
by playing a flattened third, fifth, or seventh of a scale. These slight alterations in pitch
allow blue notes to add color and tension to music. Augmenting the pitch of a given
interval can provide a similar effect.

Blue Notes (*) in the C scale

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Many genres of world music make use of these slight alterations in tuning, which give a
distinct air to the music. Blue notes originated in the tribal folk songs of Africa and
similar sounds can be found in Arabic and Indian cultural music. Combining these types
of embellishments with more traditional forms of music can create beautifully contrasted
pieces of aural art and vastly expand your musical dialect.

Exercise 8: Tonal blending

By completing the previous exercises, you should now have a firm grasp on the
fundamental principles and advanced techniques involved in maintaining relative pitch.
You may now begin experimenting with your instruments different tone colors while also
keeping the pitch steady and under control.
Each drone of the Drone Tones album uses a distinct tone ranging from classical
instruments and choirs to synthesizers and horns. The major difference between each
tone is the presence or absence of harmonic overtones. Varying amounts of overtones
are also what give each instrument a characteristic sound. For example, the thinner
strings of the violin produce a larger degree of high-order harmonics than the cellos
thicker, lower pitched strings. In fact, you may have noticed in the last exercise that
certain notes in your instruments harmonic series have different timbres than its natural
notes.
Color your sound so that it blends in with the drone. A tone that is dark and centered
may work well with certain drones while a tone that is bright and colorful may work best
for others. Use you best judgement in determining when you have thoroughly explored
this exercise.

Create and Improvise

With a firm grounding in relative pitch and an expanded capacity in creativity and
expression, you may find limitless applications for these exercises. Think of new and
interesting ways to apply your abilities to music performance and more advanced
exercises to push your skills even further. Enjoy the new boundaries of your creativity
and extend them as far as your mind and body allow.

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Raymond Johnson | Drone Tones: Guided Practice

Perfect Pitch: Journey and Destination

The quest for perfect pitch is a goal for many passionate musicians. But perfection
compared to what? Do you want perfect pitch compared to a 440 Hz tone, a just
tempered major 3rd, an equal tempered fifth, the Balinese musical scale, or a really flat
lead saxophonist?
Personally, I consider perfect pitch as of a combination of pitch accuracy and flexibility
to achieve an intended musical expression in a variety of musical settings.
Paradoxically, perfect pitch is not perfect at all times. Just as a small number of natural
physical laws yield and explain a vast variety of interesting and creative outcomes in our
universe, the fundamental principles behind pitch and intonation create a plethora of
vivid and imaginative sounds. The destination of perfect pitch remains an everlasting
journey in creativity.

References
1. Lundy, Miranda. Sutton, Daud. Ashton, Anthony. Martineau, Jason. Martineau, John.
Quadrivium. Walker Publishing Company, 2010.
2. Salomon Jadassohn. A Practical Course in Ear Training. Breitkopf and Hrtel, 1899.
3. Duffin, Ross. How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (and Why You Should
Care). W. W. Norton & Company, 2006.
4. Hopkin Bart. Musical Instrument Design: Practical Information for Instrument Making.
See Sharp Press, 1996.
5. HMT | Hermode Tuning | Program Controlled Tuning. Werner Mohrlok. Web. 9 Sept.
2011. <http://www.hermode.com/index_en.html>.
6. Truax, Barry. "Just_Tuning." SFU.ca. Cambridge Street Publishing, 1999. Web. 10
Sept. 2011. <http://www.sfu.ca/sonic-studio/handbook/Just_Tuning.html>.
7. Bain, Reginald. "The Harmonic Series." A Web-based Multimedia Approach to the
Harmonic Series. University of South Carolina School of Music, 2002. Web. 14 Sept.
2011. <http://www.music.sc.edu/fs/bain/atmi02/index.html>.

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