Klarinet Archive - Posting 000508.txt from 1998/11

From: Edinger/Gilman <wde1@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Concert A pitch, again
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 23:36:47 -0500

I was going through the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics the
other day (I finished reading all the phone books) - in case that's
unfamiliar, it's a standard reference text for the hard sciences,
covering standards for more things than you could imagine - and ran
across the Musical Scale table. Concert A was listed as 440Hz in the
U.S. as of 1936, determined by the American Standards Association, and
European A as 435, as of 1891, making it LOWER, not higher, that the
U.S. The 1954 edition of the CRC said the same thing as the 1973 and
1986 versions. So why are some people claiming or trying to justify a
higher pitch in Europe? Or is the CRC handbook failing to stay
up-to-date?
Also, there was a recent survey on the Flute List which listed the
pitch of respondents' instruments (among other things). Almost half had
instruments that were designed for A442, with a slim majority at A440.
Any idea how most clarinets stack up here?

Bill Edinger

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