Klarinet Archive - Posting 000638.txt from 1996/02

From: Grant Green <gdgreen@-----.COM>
Subj: Strings and clarinets...
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 12:53:55 -0500

Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.EDU> said:

> I think this phenomenon can be explained thusly: String players
>play the high notes by use of differents sets of overtones than
>clarinetists do. While we overblow at the 12th and then squeak up another
>fourth or fifth (such as the e and a, which are both overtones), they do
>only octaves. And if I remember correctly, 12th's are wider than octaves

Sorry, but I don't think this is the explanation. If I remember correctly,
the string players play nearly everything as fundamentals, not as overtones
or harmonics (although harmonics are used for special effects). We woodwind
players use the harmonic series because the fundamental range of our
instruments is an octave to a 12th (depending on which horn you're talking
about). In contrast, the string player's fundamental range covers their
entire fingerboard (e.g., the violin's low G to whatever that screeching top
note is).

Perhaps there is a recording engineer, or acoustics expert who can answer this?

Grant Green

Grant D. Green
gdgreen@-----.com
http://www.crl.com/~gdgreen/index.html
Still hunting sarussophones!