Klarinet Archive - Posting 000785.txt from 1995/05

From: Tom Izzo <tji@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: The Clarinet Polka
Date: Sat, 27 May 1995 18:02:50 -0400

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On Sat, 27 May 1995, Dick Williams wrote:

> Tom-
> Is a saxophone a horn?
> Dick Williams, dwilliams@-----.edu
>
Dick,
No I'd call it a 'phone. :)

Seriously, for my money I define a "Horn" as a Conical (by at least
50%-excluding Trumpets, but including a Cornets) Brass instrument that
use the lips for a reed. Casio markets a Digital Sax as its "Digital Horn-1".
But I term that as just a cutsey term.

To me there are Reed Instruments (Woodwinds & Saxophones, Flutes and
other Aperture related instruments even though they don't actually have a
cane or plastic reed, or Plastic, Ebonite substitutes for their more
expensive Wood & Metal counterparts); Brass Instruments (Cylindricals-the
Trumpet Family which includes their relatives-the Trombones, Conicals-the
"Horn Family" Descant, Post, French, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, and their kin
the Cornets, Flugelhorns, Euphoniums, Tubas, & Sousaphones); Strings
which include Violins, Violi, Celli, String Bassi, Guitars, Banjoes,
Harps, Harpsichords, Mandol Family (Mandoline, Mandola, Mandocello,
Mandobass, etc), Plicketts, Suitars, Barytones, and other Baroque relatives
Percussive Instruments-all manner of Drums, Mallett Percussion, Pianos,
Latin & African Percussion, Sound effects humanly manipulated, sirens,
whistles, Bells, Gongs, etc; Keyboards not otherwise catalogued such as
Pipe & Electronic Organs, Synthesizers, Harmoniums, Meletrons, etc;
Vocal instruments-our singing vocal chords, kazoos, mouthharps, jaws
whistle, etc.

Sorry about the diatribe, as I've heard out here before, I'll get off my
soap box, now. My answer would be if it's your instrument-it's your "ax",
but I have trouble calling any Clarinet a "horn".

When I do studio work, a lot of the pop musicians (who do the contracting
& hiring) define "horn" as ANY instrument that requires a musician's mouth.
So in R&R I guess you play a horn. :) :) :) :) :)

Tom
tji@-----.edu