Klarinet Archive - Posting 000604.txt from 1998/09

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Pitch standard confusion
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 02:09:32 -0400

On Mon, 14 Sep 1998, Matt Palasik wrote:

> ok then if a clarinet is designed to play at a=440 when the temperature
> is say 72 as well as the other instruments in the orchestra. Then if
> thepitch will naturally go higher as the teperature increaes souldnt the
> standard include tem. SO lets say we are in a concert hall that is like
> 88 degrees with all thepeople the lights etc.WOuldn't it make more sense
> to tune slighly highe at say a=441 or 442 so that the instruments will
> play more in tune with themselves.

I can't quite follow the logic of that. If the hall is going to be
warmer, and therefore the woodwind instruments get sharper, wouldn't
common sense dictate that we should tune lower? But, in fact, whatever
the temperature, all the players I know try to tune to A=440 and stay
there.

> Instaed of dozens of people trying to make slight variations in
> embouchure or whatever to keep each note in tune when tuning to a@-----.

That's part of the job. You have to listen and tune every note you play.
Sometimes that is intuitive, and at other times you have to listen and
concentrate on pitch with nearly every brain cell you have, and make the
necessary adjustments.

> How often is the temperture in most concert halls or any other place
> where orchestras and ensembles perform atually 72 degrees?

In my experience, essentially never.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org