Klarinet Archive - Posting 000081.txt from 1994/05

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Matthias Ferdinand comments on sound character
Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 12:21:58 -0400

I preface my remarks on Matthias' interesting comments by freely
admitting that I have not played a saxophone for 30 or more years and
I was not a very competent player even when I was playing one.

Basically, I was awful and found the saxophone the easiest instrument
to play badly.

I only wish to comment that Matthias' comments summarize all of those
about character of the sound of the clarinet as it is derived from the
material from which it is made. That summary is this: "Of course there
is a difference, because I can hear a difference between wood and
metal and hard rubber." There are variations on such statements but
they are all dependent on the "It sounds to me ..." conclusion.

How something sounds to us is not necessarily the best or even a very good
test for how something sounds. We are poor judges of what we hear and
non-objective influences color what we hear from what we may think we hear.

I do not disresepct what Matthias has said with respect to the
saxophone. I think he probably does hear a difference. But the issue
is whether he hears a real difference or if he thinks he is supposed
to hear a difference. If I am of the opinion that a glass clarinet
will sound differently that a wooden clarinet, I WILL hear a difference
even should none exist.

Would an impartial panel, hearing Matthias play a variety of saxophones
behind a screen come to that same conclusion? That is a very
debatable point. And the test would have to be more objective than
that, perhaps having a number of players play a variety of instruments.

We are conditioned by many factors (our teachers, marketing pressure,
old wives tales, common sense, rationality) to come to certain beliefs
about material and its effect on sound character. But such beliefs
are not necessarily supported by scientific evidence.

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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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