Klarinet Archive - Posting 000191.txt from 1998/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Short barrels
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 13:31:31 -0400

At 08:06 AM 9/6/98 -0500, Roger Garrett wrote:
>A more logical explanation for "pitch creep" in student grade clarinets
>might be that, with the problems of playing outside, problems of public
>school brass players playing sharper and sharper, teachers have simply had
>trouble getting their clarinet students to be able to play in tune with
>the band's rising pitch. The "click" barrel was designed specifically for
>this reason.
>
I don't think student-line clarinets are leading the parade. The new
Selmer Signature clarinet, for example, comes with two barrels. And with
electronic tuners now being ubiquitous, I don't really believe that school
brass players are playing any sharper than they ever did. A=440 is LAW in
bands. I think Selmer's real plan may be to make their student instruments
more saleable in Europe.

>As for orchestra bells, I have no idea why they are being pitched at
>A=442, but I could guess that they also make them at A=440? Our orchestra
>tunes at 440, but we retune twice more before the evening is out. The
>strings always drive the pitch up. I can only guess about the reasons for
>raising melodic percussion instrument pitch.
>
I guess you'll have to talk to your strings about that. The bells are made
in BOTH pitches, but will be shipped A@-----.
Again, this appears to be IN RESPONSE TO a rise in pitch standard in
ORCHESTRAS only, particularly in Europe.

P.S. Sorry for calling you "Dale" in a recent post. For some reason my
brain substituted the name of an old Air Force buddy who shares your surname.

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.

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