Klarinet Archive - Posting 000371.txt from 1998/01

From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Reed Tip Closing
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 00:44:17 -0500

Bill Hausmann wrote:

>At 11:48 PM 1/6/98 -0500, Jonathan Cohler wrote:
>(Bill Hausmann wrote) It does not seen possible for the very
>>>method of tone production (from reed flapping in the breeze to functioning
>>>as an air valve) to change that dramatically without a subsequent
>>>***DRAMATIC*** change in the tonal quality.
>>
>>That is precisely correct. And that is part of why the clarinet tone gets
>>dramatically "brighter" as one gets louder and louder. Without getting
>>into the physics of it that cause this, suffice it to say that as one blows
>>harder and harder on the clarinet the higher the partial is, the stronger
>>it gets relative to the fundamental. Coupled with the fact that the reed
>>vibration pattern of hitting the mouthpiece has more high frequency
>>components in it and you have indeed a brighter sound as you crescendo.
>>
>>In fact, if you listen carefully while you make a slow crescendo on a note,
>>you can quite easily discern the point at which the reed begins to hit.
>>
>>If you don't believe that the clarinet sound is getting brigther as you get
>>louder, you can verify it for yourself with the following simple experiment.
>>
>> 1. Record a softly played note.
>> 2. Record the same note played quite loudly (but in focus etc...)
>> 3. Listen to the two notes played back, but when you play them
>> back adjust the level so that the loudness of the two notes
>> matches.
>>
>>You will clearly hear the difference in color with the loudness levels
>matched.
>>
>When I said ***DRAMATIC*** I meant like the difference between a flute and
>a trumpet, occurring suddenly at the exact loudness when the reed begins
>hitting the mouthpiece tip. No tapes required. Immediate, obvious, night
>and day difference.
>

No this is not the case. The difference is not that dramatic. The reed
acts as a flow-control air valve (see the detailed description of this in
Benade) whether it is fully or partially closing (which depends on dynamic
level). When the reed partially closes the aperture is restricted which in
turn affects (and therefore "controls") air speed through the aperture and
air pressure on both sides of the reed. When the reed opens up the
opposite happens. The difference between partial and finally total closure
(at mf) is only a matter of degree.

>>> I'll bet that with a
>>>sufficiently open mouthpiece and a sufficiently stiff reed that will NOT
>>>close the mouthpiece, it will be IMPOSSIBLE to obtain a tone at all! Let
>>>the experiments begin!
>>
>>Also true.
>>
>But if this is true, how can you get your pianissimo note as you have
>described?
>

You said "sufficiently stiff". If a reed is sufficiently stiff (i.e.
massive, like a #20 on the Vandoren scale of #1 to #5 for example), you
won't be able to make it vibrate at all. That's why I agreed with your
statement.

But as I said before all playable reeds, when played at pp do not touch the
tip of the moutpiece. This is not a matter of opinion. It is fact that
has been verified by experiment (again see Benade).

-----------------------
Jonathan Cohler
cohler@-----.net