Klarinet Archive - Posting 000103.txt from 1996/05

From: Mitch Bassman <mbassman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: A question about acoustics
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 12:46:33 -0400

Jonathan,

On Mon, 6 May 1996, Jonathan Cohler wrote:
> At 9:35 PM 5/5/96, Lisa Clayton wrote:
> >> cylinder, but there is no common orchestral instrument that is an open
> >> cone, but if there were, it too would oveblow a 12th.
> >> Ginny Lyons
> >
> >Is there an uncommon instrument out there that is an open cone?
>
> The early music folk probably know better, but I believe there were old
> conical flutes. Those would have been open cones.

Unlike today's cylindrical flutes, most of today's professional quality
piccolos (and many intermediate ones) have (reverse) conical bores --
wider at the headjoint and narrower at the foot. Yet they do overblow an
octave and do produce all even and odd harmonics. I seem to recall that
the advantage of this bore shape is an improvement in intonation in the
high register. Can you explain the physics?

--Mitch Bassman
mbassman@-----.com