Referent should be audible at all times. Bands tend to overpower the referent and tune to the loudest instrument whether or not it agrees with the original. Tuning small groups at a time to the same referent eliminates the overpowering of the referent. Young students find it easier to tune to instruments with timbres similar to their own. Low instruments are effective at establishing the fundamental of the chord and providing practice tuning to the fundamental of the chord.
Low instruments contain overtones in the range of the higher instruments.
C. Multiple Pitch Referent System 1. Students can tune to a timbre similar to their own. Maintaining consistency between the referents is very difficult if not impossible. Stay in Tune A. Requires mastery of several specific skills on various levels 1. Students should understand the beats which are heard when unison notes are played out of tune.