Klarinet Archive - Posting 000107.txt from 1995/10

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Mike Lockhart asks the perennial question
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 1995 00:44:40 -0400

Dan,
Isn't the reason that the B-flat length is most comfortable
acoustically? I seem to remember being told that. Then the obvious thing
to do would be to have another clarinet for sharp keys in a similar
length, which would mean either A or B. I'm SURE the A would win out. Am
I way off base on this one?

Fred J.

On Thu, 5 Oct 1995, Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.edu wrote:

> Mike asks the question that invariably arises to clarinet players.
> Why are clarinets made in so many keys. Why in B-flat and A, etc.
> Why not just in C.
>
> Clarinets started out in C. They were primitive instruments and
> playing in sharp keys was probably a nightmare.
>
> So what does one do with an instrument that has difficulty managing
> complicated keys? The logical choice is to put more keys on it and
> make it capable of playing such keys. That's a good choice but beyond
> the capability of 18th century technology.
>
> The other choice is to not put extra keys on the clarinet. Instead
> make a clarinet longer (or shorter) and punch the holes for the
> fingers in a different place. That way, when the player fingers a
> note, a different pitch comes out on this clarinet than on that
> clarinet.
>
> And that, in short is what happened.
>
> Instead of raising the bridge, they lowered the river. Instead of
> adding keys to the clarinet, they changed its length, punched finger
> holes in a lower position on the tube, and thus changed its pitch.
>
> Advantage, you don't have to worry about lots of keys.
>
> Disadvantage, you now need several clarinets, one for sharp keys (A
> clarinet), one for flat keys (B-flat clarinet) and one for neutral
> keys (C clarinet). After a while the latter one went away.
>
> And that is (very roughly) what happened.
>
>
> ====================================
> Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
> (leeson@-----.edu)
> ====================================
>