Klarinet Archive - Posting 000139.txt from 1998/04

From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: THE REED'S MODE OF VIBRATION
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 15:25:26 -0500

The reed's mode of vibration

The preface to this article was written by James Collis, editor of the
CLARINET, a SYMPHONY quarterly.

Not long ago your editor had the privilege of visiting again with an old
friend, Dr.Claude S. McGinnis of Temple University,Philadelphia. An
article by Dr.McGinnis and his associate appears elsewhere in this issue
and we publish it because of its lasting theoretical value.
The article's purpose is to prove that the reed remains closed for a
considerable period of time during each cycle against the lay of the
mouthpiece- a theory which had previously been advanced but never
proven.
The value of such research lies in that it provides a concrete basis of
fact from which a number of conclusions can be drawn, which can result
in many improvements in the construction of the instrument and the
technique of playing it.

Even a cursory glance through the article is enough to prove that the
lay of the mouthpiece must be even and the reed must be well balanced
if the physical requirements of playing the instrument are to be
fulfilled.

There can also be little doubt that more serious study of the article
would result in one's arriving at more than a few valuable conclusions.

While experimenting with the artificial embouchure described in the
article, Dr.McGinnis also observed the patterns of the reed's vibration

He experimented with many types of reeds: those with grooves cut in the
bark; those with holes drilled at various points ; those with little
wood up the sides and plenty of wood in the center; those with soft
tips; with those that played high notes easily; etc.

He will write about these experiments sometime during the coming year,
for he is retiring from his Temple University position which will give
him the leisure he wants.

Dr.McGinnis promises he will write of these matters as a clarinetist for
clarinet players- a style that is not permitted when writing for
scientific journals.

(The article THE REED'S MODE OF VIBRATION will begin with the next
posting)

Avrahm Galper

http://www.sneezy.org/avrahm_galper/index.html

   
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