Klarinet Archive - Posting 000503.txt from 1997/09

From: Edward Yadzinsky <museyadz@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: A Clarinet from a Bb?
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 11:52:16 -0400

> > Years ago I had a professor that told me of how he had at one time used a
> > string to convert his Bb clarinet into an A clarinet. If I remember
> > correctly he said it was connected between the mouthpiece and the barrel and
> > hung down the center of the bore of the clarinet thus lowering the pitch a
> > half-step. I have yet to try this, but I was wondering if any of you more
> > mature (old foggie) clarinettists have heard of or done such a thing?

Yep - it works - though poorly - the string must be quite heavy - and
indeed "flops" around in the bore - a neat party-trick - it works because
the cross-section of the bore is reduced - which lowers the resonant pitch
per-unit-length - but as for intonation - how about a Halloween Banshee..!