Klarinet Archive - Posting 000276.txt from 1997/11

From: Jrykorten@-----.com
Subj: Re: Materials
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 20:31:43 -0500

This person, who goes by a rather long code name, does not understand the
acoustic principles behind tone generation in a woodwind instrument. There is
nothing similar about how a wine glass generates tone and how a clarinet
generates tone.

Jerry Korten
NYC

In a message dated 97-11-06 07:36:26 EST, 35C0756D97F86AF06BBBB2E5 writes:

<<
Re. materials discussed in another thread, let's do an experiment. Take
three
dimensionally identical drinking glasses. On is plastic, one is glass, one
is
crystal. Tap each lightly with a fingernail. If they sound the same,
materials
don't matter. If the sound different, materials do matter.

The materials used to make clarinets are much more similar that the above
extreme
example, therefore the differences between clarinets made of different
materials
will not be as great. The resonance of the materials of the mouthpiece and
bore are
secondary to the tone generation which takes place within the chamber of the
mouthpiece (minimal impact of the material used).

The size and shape of the chamber, reed condition, embouchure, and support
of the
air stream are the primary tone inducing factors within the chamber. The
length of
the bore (modulated by the holes & keys) is the primary tonal factor in the
body of
the clarinet.

Other secondary tonal effects are produced by variations in the bore
diameter,
method of cutting tone holes, and other such things that either aid or
impair
generation of harmonics of the primary tone being produced. The wall
thickness is
important to the ability to sustain resonance after the note has changed.
Thinner
walls sustain higher tones better, while thicker walls sustain lower tones
better.

- --------------35C0756D97F86AF06BBBB2E5--
>>