Klarinet Archive - Posting 000068.txt from 1995/09

From: niethamer@-----.BITNET
Subj: Re: intonation again
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 1995 21:43:08 -0400

On Tue, 5 Sep 1995, R Adam Pease wrote:

> Last evening I was rehearsing Bozza's Trois Movements for clarinet and
> flute. The first movement ends on a written high D on clarinet and a high
> E for flute. These notes sound awful together. Our fundamentals were in
> tune but there are some crazy partials which must be 10% out to each other.
> We tried different fingerings, embouchures, the flutist rotated her flute
> to alter the blowing angle, no luck. Has anyone played this piece or
> another and encountered the same problem? Is there a solution? Maybe this
> sound doesn't make it to the audience but is only heard by the performers?
> (wishful thinking)

If your clarinet was (is?) in Bb, you are playing a major third. You
should be getting a difference tone, but I can't remember which one -
either "C" concert (two octaves lower than your note) or (less likely) a
"G" concert. If your interval is tuned properly, you'll get a clear
tone/pitch. If not, you'll hear chaos.

> During other passages where the clarinet is in the second or third
> register, I find that a less focused sound with a more relaxed and open
> embouchure gives a better blend with the flute even though my tone isn't
> as nice by itself. Any thoughts?

In an ensemble setting, I think blend and intonation are more important
that purely individual tonal considerations.

=========================
David Niethamer
niethamer@-----.edu
dbnclar1@-----.com
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