Klarinet Archive - Posting 000128.txt from 1998/01
From: "Loh Tzu Liang" <tlloh@-----.sg>
Subj: Re: swabbing really does wear it out (retransmitted)
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 1998 06:51:25 -0500
Hello to all..
Well, I am quite new around here but this dicussion has proved to be highly
informative and entertaining.
Let me express my humble opinion.
I agree with Dee Hays and Roger Garrett.. the level of the player shd be
considered. For me, I don't think I will even notice the difference at all
and will take the most convienient and practical way out..swabbing.
As for what will deform the mp more, I think it is a very "physics" thing.
The reed is harder than the cloth but the effects are different.
The cloth is pulled thru and has a lateral movement and hence abrasive
action on the mp.
The reed on the other hand is "pounding" the mp face at right angles and has
no abrasive action. It does have a compacting action.
Now the problem is to find out which one deals more damage
A few things you might need to consider..
Cloth: material
type/amt of impurities
type of mp
size (affects the pressure against the face)
speed of pulling thru
direction of pulling thru
Reed: "size" of reed used
type of mp
playing habits
Another point to note, "Reed pounding" will always be there but "swab
abrasion" can be minimised.
Is tt why the mp needs to be refaced from time to time?
Anyway, I have no comments on this issue since I am not at tt level
yet..just thought I'd add a few points for you to ponder abt ;-)
Yours sincerely,
Loh
tlloh@-----.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Date: 04 January 1998 13:23
Subject: Re: swabbing really does wear it out (retransmitted)
>At 04:32 PM 1/3/98 -0700, Bill Edinger wrote:
>>Re the suggestion that the reed is "slamming against" the tip and rails
>>of the mouthpiece, so to speak: this is definitely an incorrect
>>description of what happens when you play. If the reed were vibrating
>>against the tip and rails, there would be no sound coming through, would
>>there? The reed vibrates in the air as the air passes through the mouth
>>and the mouthpiece; TONGUING closes the reed against the mouthpiece,
>>very briefly.
>
>If you will allow me that the mechanism of saxophone and clarinet tone
>production is essentially the same, I will quote from "The Art of Saxophone
>Playing" by Larry Teal:
>
>"The principle task of the reed is its function as an air valve which opens
>and closes on the mouthpiece at various speeds. The rate of speed, or
>frequency, of the operation controls the pitch of the tone and is governed
>by the size and shape ot the body of air it must set in motion...
>
>"In April, 1941, the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America published
>an article by two physicists, C. S. McGinnis and C. Gallagher, who had
>succeeded in photographing the time and motion of a single reed while in
>the process of tone production. The results of this experiment showed the
>reed functioning as a valve which emits "puffs" of air into the instrument,
>and also forms an air tight seal during half of the time of each vibrating
>cycle. To quote from this article:
>
>"The motion of the reed during the cycle is of interest. Consider the
>chink is just on the point of closing. With the aperature closed, the reed
>appears motionless to the eye for about half of the time of the complete
>cycle. It then leaves the mouthpiece with relatively high velocity and
>reaches its position of maximum displacement in a series of short spurts.
>The time spent motionless at maximum displacement is roughly a quarter of
>the fundamental period. The tip of the reed now returns to the mouthpiece
>in a series of short spurts, and the fundamental cycle is complete. Thus,
>the actual motion of the reed occupies only about a quarter of the period."
>
>Just some "gee-whiz" info to back up my theory.
>
>
>Neil and Roger get my vote: just as you can polish a
>>bore or a mouthpiece or a razor, for that matter (and steel is a lot
>>harder than rubber), you can indeed eventually wear down the rail edges
>>and the tip. I know, I'm guilty of it. The frequency of swabbing, the
>>type of cloth (think of a razor strop of a lens-polishing cloth), and
>>the tightness of fit would all be factors varying the effect, but the
>>effect is, in my opinion, indisputable. So there :).
>
>A razor strop is designed to be abrasive. It is SUPPOSED to remove
>material. But it still takes many strokes to do the job. I would not swab
>out my mouthpiece with sandpaper. I use silk (no sense taking fool
>chances). I guess I'll need to practice more to see the wear.
>
>
>
_
>Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
>451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
>Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
> ICQ UIN 4862265
>
>If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.
>
