Klarinet Archive - Posting 000103.txt from 1994/02

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: vibrato
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 1994 09:58:06 -0500

On Wed, 9 Feb 1994, Joshua Proschan wrote:

> The clarinet's spectrum emphasizes the odd harmonics, although the even
> ones are present; and it has a wider distribution of energy in the upper
> harmonics than most other instruments do. These harmonics are not the
> simple integer multiples of the fundamental that elementary textbooks
> describe; this results from the clarinet bore being relatively larger
> compared to the length for the higher frequencies. A similar effect in
> piano strings leads to the dilemma of whether to tune octaves to the
> fundamental of the lower note, or to its first partial (which is a bit
> higher). The former sounds a bit sour, the latter spreads the octaves
> and makes life hard for for ensembles with piano and winds.

Could you please direct me to a source of more detailed data regarding the
clarinet's inharmonicity. I had always understood that the continuous
input of energy to the blown reed imposes a regime of harmonic
oscillation on the coupled reed and air column.

It is obvious that the stiffness of strings will cause them to behave in
a non-linear manner resulting, for example, in the inharmonicity of struck
piano strings. If the same strings are bowed, however, they will also be
forced into harmonic vibration.

> A vibrato emphasizes the dissonances between the overtones; and the
> higher the overtone, the greater this effect. Thus a flute or oboe,
> which uses mostly the lower partials, is not affected as much as a
> clarinet that has a lot more acoustic energy in the hogher overtones.

Once again, I am unsure that I can follow your reasoning. Where can I
find hard data explaining the quantitative aspects of the vibrato-
induced emphasis in the dissonances between the overtones?

I have done my best to follow the acoustics literature for the past
several decades but suppose that I either must have missed some important
work, or have simply forgotten basic material in basic texts.