Brought to you this hour by

Advertising and Web Hosting on Woodwind.Org!

Doublereed Archive - Posting 000020.txt from 2006/08

From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Kerosene for the fire? Pitch centers of commercially
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:37:43 -0400

Bands play sharp because the wind players in them are improperly trained.
Most use the lip to achieve their aims instead of the air and support.

All modern wind instruments I have encountered sound best at the pitch of
their manufacture. The "core" or center of the sound is more accessible and
they sound better. Even if there is argument that some modern and recently
manufactured instruments are made for a higher pitch, there are still some
of us who play bassoons made in the late 40s and who have a terrible time
getting them to play above 440-442.

Orchestras also play very sharp. As the strings prefer the "bright" (thin)
sound produced that way. Find a different group where there is some sense of
discipline and where the conductor has his head screwed on tightly.
Herb

On 8/3/06 10:43 PM, "Keith Sklower" <sklower@-----.EDU> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm thinking of writing a position piece addressed to a handful of concert
> band directors about why I went somewhat ballistic (twice) when a concert band
> (in which I was playing) began by tunning *sharp*.
>
> I can imagine the unspoken monologue churning in their minds:
>
> "You're an experienced player, right? You can match if you have to!
> Don't European Orchestras play at A445 at a minimum? Can't you just
> go out and buy an oboe where it's easier to play higher?"
>
> So, to forestall such objections, I'd like to know what the
> the pitch centers of commonly used oboes are these days....
>
> Some of my knowledge is 30 years old; back then when Robert Gilbert
> was the sole importer of Rigotauts to the US, the ones he brought in
> had a slightly different bore than the ones sold in Europe, and
> were tuned to 440 as opposed to 442.
>
> Is that still the case?
>
> Indeed, in 1976, in a previous life as a mathematics graduate student
> whose dissertation adviser was spending the year at a French research
> institute, I had the very good fortune to go to the Loree shop,
> have a "troisieme clef de l'octave" installed on my CZ47, and
> speak with Mr. Alain DeGourdon asking him if they had ever thought
> about manufacturing an oboe at European pitch, with the resonse "Yes,
> we *know* how to make such an oboe, but our customers would not
> be satisified with the tone quality".
>
> The yamaha web site doesn't provide that information (pitch center) in the
> specifications for the YOB831 and 841.
>
> (I have vague memories though of the YFL481 intermediate flute
> specified as playing at 442, and indeed my flute head joint
> does have to be pulled out, and yes I know that that going to
> affect notes like a and b a lot more the d and e. Just like
> on oboe).
>
> I have no clue about Buffet, Howarth, Marigaux (or the fellow
> in Switzerland who's company I've forgotten -> Dauphin maybe?)
>
> Is there anybody on the list who has access to such information?
>
> Curmudgeonly yours,
>
> Keith L Sklower
> obsessive amateur...
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> For personal help: email doublereed-owner@-----.org
> Doublereed is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
For personal help: email doublereed-owner@-----.org
Doublereed is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org