Klarinet Archive - Posting 000667.txt from 1998/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Pitch standard confusion
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 23:51:39 -0400

At 11:03 PM 9/16/98 -0700, Matt Palasik wrote:
>i think my point is being misinterpreted. Instruments are disigned to
>play at the standard a@-----. but often
>enough the temp is not 72 degrees where you perform. and the difference
>in temps is great from freezing cold to extremly hot. and i believe Ed
>lacypointed out that many orchestras etc will tak ethe temp in to
>consideration hen tuning. Which makes sense. But my point is is there
>a way to manufature instruments so they may be better in tune at the
>varying temps. Maybe using a different sythetic material or something or
>some way of changing the instrument design to accomadate varying
>temps.
>
There IS such a mechanism. On a clarinet, it is called the barrel joint.
On brass instruments it is the tuning slides. On strings, tuning pegs.
Oddly enough (but no more odd than the REST of the instrument), the oboe
does not have such a device and is almost completely subject to the
arbitrary whim and caprice of Mother Nature and the guy contolling the
house thermostat. Which is why we tune to the oboe. Even if the oboe
physically CANNOT play at A=440, at least the rest of us can join up with
it at its pitch so it won't feel so lonely up there.

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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