Klarinet Archive - Posting 000255.txt from 1997/04

From: Adam Calabrese <adam.calabrese@-----.GOV>
Subj: Re: Barrels
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 08:56:26 -0400

At 08:41 PM 4/7/97 -0400, you wrote:
>On the same note, since I need a new barrel, (mine cracked). Why do we buy
>barrels at 64 mm when we always pull it out some to tune with everyone else??
> Just curious.
>
>Thomas
>Reedman2@-----.com
>

Many American orchestras (and all wind bands) tune to A440. In Europe, A
442 (I think - I expect to be corrected if wrong) is most common. As
Nathaniel Johnson said - "so you can play when the others are going sharp"
(or are tuned "sharp" as the case may be).

Also, as David Blumburg said, unless you play A 442, you should get a
longer barrel for better intonation. Just remember where many (not all) of
the better Clarinets are made - Europe.

-Adam Calabrese
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899