Scordatura refers to which practice?

• A. The retuning of a stringed instrument in order to play notes below the ordinary range of the instrument or to produce an unusual tone color
• B. The use of vibrato to alter tone color
• C. The changing of a wind instrument's mouthpiece
• D. The tuning of a keyboard instrument to nonstandard pitch

Answer: (A)

Scordatura is the intentional retuning of a stringed instrument so the sounded pitches differ from standard tuning. This lets players reach notes outside the normal range and creates unusual tone color through altered string tensions and resonances. Historically, composers and players used it to expand the instrument’s expressive possibilities and produce distinctive sonorities that standard tuning can’t yield. Vibrato, changing a wind instrument’s mouthpiece, or tuning a keyboard to nonstandard pitch involve different techniques and effects, not retuning the strings themselves.