Klarinet Archive - Posting 000094.txt from 1997/03

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: barrels
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 17:45:12 -0500

On Mon, 3 Mar 1997, Nathaniel F Johnson wrote:

> The changes to reeds and embouchure that you mentioned do not really
> increase the bore size; rather they relax the tension in the reed. This
> is similar to bringing your hands closer together when stretching a
> rubber band. The rubber band is looser, so it sounds a lower note when
> plucked. Likewise, when you loosen the reed (or the embouchure pressure
> on the reed) the pitch goes down.

It seems to me that the analogy is spurious, because we are talking about
two different properties. In the case of the rubber band, there is a
change in tension, but this is not necessarily true in every case with
regard to reeds.

Actually, it can be easily seen that there is a measurable change in the
interior volume of the reed. For example, if a bassoonist has a reed
which is otherwise playable, but sharp in pitch, we might use pliers to
press on the first wire at the sides, which opens up the blade area of the
reed. Conversely, pressing on the first wire at the top and bottom will
close the reed and raise the pitch, among other effects. I won't get into
the use of the second wire for similar purposes, because that is a more
specialized topic.

Similarly, oboe players can "side-slip" the two blades to bring them
closer together and raise the pitch of the reed, or realign the blades to
lower the pitch. Again, there are other associated effects.

I would be interested in knowing more about why the clarinet barrel would
have an opposite effect.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu