Klarinet Archive - Posting 000234.txt from 1998/01

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: swabbing really does wear it out (retransmitted)
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 08:18:38 -0500

At 09:17 PM 1/4/98 -0600, Roger Garrett wrote:
>On Sun, 4 Jan 1998, Bill Hausmann wrote:
>> Roger, I quoted straight out of one of the books that qualifies as a
>> saxophone player's bible, written by a highly respected teacher. "The Art
>> of Saxophone Playing" by Larry Teal, Copyright 1963 Summy-Birchard Music,
>> page 21. The book is still in print, although the publisher may have
>> changed. The quote from the published article is identified as being used
>> with permission of the Acoustical Society of America. Maybe the next
>> paragraph (Teal's words) will further clarify:
>> "This scientific evidence of the reed's action is a major contribution to
>> both our general knowledge and to the methods of procedure in fitting and
>> shaping the reed to the mouthpiece. The importance of these findings lies
>> in the fact that the reed must close along the *facing* as well as the
>> *tip* of the mouthpiece, and that both sides must seal simultaneously.
>> This explains the need for "balancing" the reed along the curve of the
>> facing, so that the reed will curl around the facing with a sealing
>> effect." (emphasis his, although he used italics instead of "* *")
>
>I appreciate the information....you have quoted it accurately. I simply
>do not agree that the tip closes.....I believe it does not. Regarding the
>reed vibrating along the rail and, therefore, impacting to some incredibly
>small degree with the rails, no problem there....it has to impact
>somewhere - a point of no return is somewhere between the middle of the
>reed (at the rail) and the tip. I cannot agree with the tip closing -
>regardless of what is reported in Teal's book. This would be especially
>true with a saxophone reed/mouthpiece where the curve is much greater.
>
I'm afraid I will have to go with published scientific research over
opinion in this case. I can see how this works, though. A too stiff reed
and/or a too open mouthpiece would indeed prevent the reed from closing all
the way, thus preventing sound from coming out. Maybe you can get someone
at your school or another colleage elswhere to do another study on it. It
might make good thesis material.

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.