Klarinet Archive - Posting 000839.txt from 1996/08

From: David Blumberg <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Clarinet sounds -Wood/Plastic- Fake/Real
Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 09:58:21 -0400

To all,
I WISH plastic (Resonite, Poly Carbon, Toys R Us, Etc.) clarinets sounded as
good as real ones. Yes, I said real ones. If they did, I would play one on a
100 degree stage, instead of my "name brand" horn. In fact, I would maybe use
a plastic reed if they (not me) had the tone of "real reeds". But I don't
prefer to sound like a Kazoo.
David C. Blumberg
Reedman@-----.com

----------
From: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network on behalf of Dan Leeson:
LEESON@-----.edu
Sent: Friday, August 30, 1996 6:50 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
Subject: Re: Greg van Cott's questions about R13 shopping

Greg, I am not trying to pick on you or generate troubles for you, but
it is not "sound" either. I think that what you want to talk about
is the character of the sound. That may very well be what you mean,
but since clarinet playing is important to you, your vocabulary in
speaking about the instrument and all things claretistic in general
needs to be both refined and precise.

If you prefer one instrument over another, who am I to say no. Be
happy. Play on whatever makes you comfortable. But recognize
that (in my opinion) what you are hearing is what you think you
are supposed to hear.

When you attempt to justify your personal preference by suggesting
that you get a better or a different sound on one instrument
as contrasted with another, you are trodding on very shaky
earth. The think that you want to talk about is very ephemeral
and (once again, in my opinion) it doesn't vary from clarinet to
clarinet, from manufacturer to manufacturer, from model to model
with anything like the degree that I think you have in mind.

In any event, what the hell do I know anyway? Curmudgeons are
not bright, only noisy.

> From: MX%"music@-----.97
> Subj: Re: Greg van Cott's questions about R13 shopping

> It is now time to summon up my limited amount of courage and take
> exception to Dan's reply. Perhaps tone is the wrong word to use so
> I shall use sound. I compared several several instruments of
> different makes and models when I bought mt R-13. I finally chose
> the R-13 because I liked it's SOUND better than the others. When I
> decided on the R-13 I then tried several of those and made my
> selection on how the instrument FELT to me. Perhaps between R-13s
> there is no difference in sound or tone quality but I practise on
> a Buffet B-12 and play on an R-13. I also have other clarinets that
> I have collected and play those from time to time. I still prefer the
> sound of the R-13. Try an R-13, a Bundy and a LeBlanc Pete Fountain
> and see if there is a sound or tone difference.
> Jack Dannenberg
> >
> > I have been busy doing other things (though I read all the notes) and
> > now I recognize that I have not been curmudgeonly enough. Not having
> > been grumpy about one aspect of clarinet playing has allowed what I
> > believe to be nonsense to arise again and as seen in Greg's note.
> > (Nothing personal, Greg - this is business).
> >
> > Greg speaks, as do many players, about the selection of his clarinet
> > based on its tone.
> >
> > Well, we've been through this before but it is time to stir the pot again.
> >
> > Horse hockey!! The clarinet is not the thing that makes the quality of
> > the tone. In effect, you sound essentially the same independent of
> > the instrument on which you execute. There are exceptions of course.
> >
> > The tone quality would probably not be the same on cork or an instrument
> > made of papyrus. But given the fact that you have an instrument in your
> > hands that meets the basic definition of a clarinet, that is bored
> > properly, that has the holes in all the right places, the intonation
> > should be satisfactory and your sound will be unchanged from anything
> > else; i.e., metal, wood, plastic, etc.
> >
> > The very idea that you purchase an instrument for "its" tone quality
> > when the instrument has such limited influence on tone quality is a
> > fundamentally unsound approach to sound generation.
> >
> > You make the tone quality. Your mouthpiece aids in the task, but
> > once the air column leaves the base of the mouthpiece and enters the
> > body of the instrument, the character of the sound has already been
> > formed by your physical shape, the resonance characteristics of your
> > body particularly including the head.
> >
> > This bit of fairystory is nothing more than a demonstration of how
> > gullible clarinetists are. You hear company X say that the tone
> > quality of their clarinets is best and you accept it uncritically.
> >
> > Some of the basic fairystories of clarinet playing have to be
> > restated about every 6 months, so ingrained are they into the
> > psyche of clarinetists.
> >
> > The source of the tone character (or tone quality) being the
> > instrument itself is one of them. Another is that the
> > tone quality is better on one brand of instrument than on
> > another.
> >
> > Curmudgeonly nature now over.
> >
> >
> > ====================================
> > Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
> > (leeson@-----.edu)
> > ====================================
> >
>
>
> --
> Jack Dannenberg
> music@-----.com
====================================
Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
====================================

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org