Klarinet Archive - Posting 000056.txt from 1996/05

From: Nick Shackleton <njs5%cam.ac.uk@-----.BITNET>
Subj: Re: A question about acoustics
Date: Fri, 3 May 1996 19:53:51 -0400

I remember that John Backus gave a rather elegant discussion of this point.
I think that it is in his acoustics book. Basically he asks the question:
what bore shapes will make "useful modern Western" musical instruments, then
he converts the musical specification "useful modern western" into
acoustical specifications, and then shows that this gives a restricted answer.
It is a couple of decades since I read this so I don't remember the details
but I think that this is a good route to Dan's question.
Nick
>Would some kind soul out there help me understand why the clarinet
>overblows a 12th while a bassoon, a flute, and an oboe overblow an
>octave.
>
>Please, no shooting from the hip, but serious knowledge about the
>phenomenon. Even better would be an explanation followed by a
>scholarly reference.
>
>Much obliged.
>
>
>====================================
>Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
>(leeson@-----.edu)
>====================================
>
>