Klarinet Archive - Posting 000014.txt from 1994/11

From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU>
Subj: Welcome Dick Williams
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 13:49:44 -0500

Hi Dick. Glad you have joined us.

Regarding the dark and bright tone sound issue, it has been a
puzzlement for some time. I suspect that you are correct in that
the words are merely substitutes for a technological specific, and
the last go around that we had on this, several submittors made that
very clear. The problem has been the difficulty in transferring
this technological description into one that is clearly identifiable
to all in some objective way. Instead, it is quite possible to deceive
people by describing what is supposed to be a dark character with what
is supposed to be a bright character, and vice versa.

And if that is true, then whatever the technological definition, it is
valueless in real life situations since an objective observer cannot
find anything precise to hang his or her hat on.

Just a few days ago I quoted from some LeBlanc advertisements that
spoke in such imprecise terms. For one fee one got a bass clarinet
with a dark tone. For $20 more (no kidding), one got a bass clarinet
with a robust dark tone. So one could argue (trying hard to keep
a straight face) that the difference between a dark and a robust dark
tone is $20.

One is reminded of the joke of a woman who was asked if she would go
to bed with a man for $2,000,000 and she said yes. When asked if
she would do it for $2 she said, "What do you think I am?" to which
the response was, "We already know what you are. We are simply
trying to determine the price."

What are your thoughts on this matter. Are you able to produce what
you think is a dark sound? Would someone listening to it come to that
same conclusion? Could I deceive such a person?

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