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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000049.txt from 2006/03
From: ContraReed@-----.com
Subj: [DR-L] Are my ears playing tricks on me?
Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2006 23:02:18 -0500
A couple of nights ago I got out my contra to practice, (for the first time
in about 2 weeks), and thought my ears were playing tricks on me. It sound,
at least to my ears, that the lowest 4 or 5 notes are almost 1/2 step flat.
If I play descending arpeggios, starting with F-C-A-F, then E-B-G#-E, and so
on down chromatically, the low D starts to sound flat, and by the time I get
to C, I feel like I'm playing a B. I've tried it with a couple of tuners
which will 'hear' down to the Low C, and they show the notes being right on, and
do make the differentiation between C, C#, & D. I also have an early style
of tuner which shows you how many vibrations per second you're playing, and
although it tends to want to hear octave overtones, it's still giving a
read-out of the correct number of vibrations for either of the next two C's.
I don't want to trust technology when my ears tell me something is weird.
FWIW, my contra has issues with the bell wanting to stay attached to the
body, and when I take it off, it sounds like these notes are better in tune
(except, of course, the low B-flat)
Is it possible that a person's hearing can change that much? I played a
concert 3 weeks ago, and didn't notice these problems. Could there be some kind
of mechanical problem with the horn which is making these notes sound flat?
It's a Fox Contra, #92, which I've had for 25 years. I'm using a Dallas
bocal and Popkin reeds.
Thanx in advance for any thoughts.
Richard Spittel
Baltimore, MD
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