One of the most common errors which directors make is to teach only a subset of the many skills required for proper intonation. Most teachers do a reasonable job of teaching students the natural intonation tendencies of the various instruments. A helpful resource is Tuning the Band and Raising Pitch Consciousness by Dr. James Jurrens. While this book is helpful students should also chart the intonation tendencies of their own instrument using a tuning device. Again, most directors do a reasonable job of teaching students to identify poor intonation.
Students quickly become accustomed to the sound of their ensemble whether it is good or bad.
After the concept of a poor sound has taken hold it is difficult to correct. If not, they should be able to identify whether the second note is lower or higher. There are software programs which drill this skill. The following exercises are suggested for building a sense of melody. In order for students to play in tune, they must have a mental concept of what a correct chord sounds like.