Klarinet Archive - Posting 000057.txt from 1994/02

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: Vibrato
Date: Mon, 7 Feb 1994 15:06:27 -0500

On Sun, 6 Feb 1994 Karen Noel-Bentley wrote:

> In _The_Clarinet_and_Clarinet_Playing_, David Pino provides a
> scientific reason for why clarinets (and, as he mentions, horns)
> do not need vibrato. On page 112, he says:

> The clarinet has a unique harmonic series. The general absence of
> even-numbered partials in the clarinet's harmonic series means that
> clarinet tone is much more sparsely populated with overtones than are
> the harmonic series of other instruments. Vibrato necessarily alters
> that sparse tonal spectrum in too great a way for the player to
> maintain his full, beautiful tone.

This is not science. If nothing else, I'd just love to hear the author's
quantitative definition of a "full, beautiful tone".

The clarinet's sound spectrum, which indeed is characterized by low
amplitude even-numbered partials, is by no means unique in this regard;
nor is there anything "sparse" about its spectrum. All stopped organ
pipes have low amplitude even-numbered partials, as do numerous other
cylindrically bored reed instruments. Horns on the other hand, have
spectra which include prominent even numbered partials.

As it happens, the spectrum of a stopped organ pipe is less complex than
that of a clarinet. Stopped organ pipes, especially in romantic
instruments, often use the organ's version of vibrato. French hunting
horn choirs, which use bell-up natural horns, use a staggeringly
pronounced vibrato. Many cylindrically bored bagpipes, both single-reed
and double-reed, also use plenty of vibrato.

Baroque references to woodwind vibrato indicate that it was then
regarded as a specific ornament, not a continuous effect. There was a
pulsed breath vibrato which affected amplitude rather than pitch, and
there was a pitch-lowering finger vibrato. It is quite likely that the
finger vibrato was introduced into polite woodwind society at the same
time that newly designed indoor bagpipes were accepted as concert
instruments (during the early to mid-17th century).

Finger vibrato was used on the transverse flute, oboe and recorder. The
chalumeaux, as the functional heirs to the recorders, in all likelihood
also used it. There is no reason to assume that it was not used on the
clarinet, although if one wished to argue that the trumpet of the day
was vibrato free, it might also be possible to argue that the clarinet
was, too. (For the authenticity buffs -- one of the most profound
musical differences between period woodwind instruments and their modern
counterparts is that the keywork of the latter usually renders finger
vibrato impossible. The clarinet is rather alone in having this problem
to such a small extent.)

I don't know of one shred of evidence that pinpoints when "modern" wavy-
breath, never-turn-it-off vibrato techniques developed. The breath
technique was *probably* developed to offload the fingers once vibrato
came to be regarded as a mainstay affect rather than an ornament. If I
had to guess, I'd relate the latter development to the final acceptance
of equal temperament during the early 19th century. Equal temperament
makes lots of stuff sound vaguely out of tune which otherwise would have
been dead on. Vibrato is one good way to ameliorate the negative aspects
of this.

It is quite clear that vibrato, subsequent to its acceptance in modern
terms, has gone in and out of fashion on various instruments at various
times and locations. Such is the case to this very day. Check out
recordings of bassoonists from various decades and places. Compare the
amount of vibrato used by a young jazz saxophonist with the amount of
vibrato used in a similar context 20 years ago. To say nothing about the
various attitudes and playing styles of clarinetists . . .

(Personally, I would be delighted if I could get away with the kind of
stuff that made Reginald Kell as worthy of admiration as I feel he is.
Can't say that I'd start by slapping on a vibrato, though.)