Klarinet Archive - Posting 000478.txt from 1998/10

From: "David C. Blumberg" <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] re: timberal differences - tested
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 18:56:58 -0400

Dan L .wrote:
On one hand David suggests that there is a
timbral difference between systems (an assertion that I, as you are
aware, do not agree with, but I've been wrong before), and then
he continues with "I think that a player will sound basically the
same no matter what system they play" (a statement with which I
am in complete accord).

Perhaps there is a subtlety to the word "timbre" that I do not
fully comprehend, but if the timbre of the two clarinets is
sufficiently different for David to hear it (possible on one
note), than how can he then say that players sound the same no
matter on what system they play.

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Ok I tested myself. Tony Pay knows the answer. I listened to his Mozart
Recording (Hogwood)(1st mvt 1st few measures), and can "hear" that his E
(4th space) is not fingered with the standard French L.H. 3 fingers + R.H.
2 fingers. I also hear something different on the high C (possibly middle
finger used??). I know that he is playing on a an authentic style clarinet,
but I have no knowledge of what fingerings are used to produce those notes,
I am going only by what my ear tells me. So Tony, am I correct? The 1st
note of the 3rd mvt. is quite obvious of the different E fingering. But
I've been wrong before, so please be gentle if I'm wrong this time......
(heck, I even wrote knowlege before my spell checker caught me).
I'll state again that a player playing a German system Clarinet will
basically sound like the same player playing a French Clarinet EXCEPT for
the individual fingering Timbres of the tones. I don't have "perfect"
pitch, but do have "Clarinet pitch" that I can tell with 100% accuracy what
note is being played. You play (without me looking) a low F# on an A
Clarinet, play a low F# on a Bb Clarinet, and I'll know that they are both
F#'s - by timbre.

David Blumberg
reedman@-----.com
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Music/Blumberg.html

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