Klarinet Archive - Posting 000075.txt from 1995/09

From: bassethn@-----.ORG
Subj: intonation again
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 10:14:31 -0400

On 09-05-95, INTERNET: Adam Pease wrote :

IR> Last evening I was rehearsing Bozza's Trois Movements for clarinet
IR> and flute. The first movement ends on a written high D on clarinet
IR> and a high E for flute. These notes sound awful together. Our
IR> fundamentals were in tune but there are some crazy partials which
IR> must be 10% out to each other.

If I understand you correctly, the notes of which you speak are the
concert c and concert e above the staff. This should produce a marvellous
difference tone of a concert middle C, I believe. The interval is a major
third and you need to tune it so there are no beats and you'll then be
able to hear the difference tone as quite pure. (Major third just
tempered is a little small).

If the sound melange sounds too confusing, you might try tuning each of
your notes alone to the tuner, playing them together at the correct pitch
as indicated by the tuner, and then making the interval small by having
the flute lower the pitch a bit. You'll hear the difference tone rolling
around and you know that the interval is dead on when you clearly hear the
C.

If there are other difficulties, refer to my thoughts on harmonics 'lining
up' in your sound (and the flute sound). If the 'sound' is not 'in tune'
with itself, it'll be really hard to get a just & pure major third, which
will definitely give you a C fundamental difference tone.

Oops! Just saw David Niethamer's post. Well put, David. I on the blend
matter agree as well. Pitch difficulties can sometimes be disguised as
blend/balance problems.

=========================================
David Bourque
Bass Clarinet, Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Internet: bassethn@-----.org
=========================================

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