Klarinet Archive - Posting 000087.txt from 1998/12

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] The helionet
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 05:23:29 -0500

At 08:58 AM 12/3/98 +0000, you wrote:
>On Wed, 2 Dec 1998, Grant Green wrote:
>
>> Ran a few figures:
>>
>> The speed of sound in air is proportional to the square root of (the
>> pressure divided by the density). I'll assume the pressure is a constant.
>> The density of a gas is roughly proportional to its molecular weight:
>>
>> He - 4 g/mol
>> dry air ~ 29 g/mol
>> CO2 - 44 g/mol
>> SF6 - 146 g/mol
>>
>> If we say that the speed of sound in air is "1", the speed of sound in He
>> is SQRT(29/4) @-----.8, and SF6 = SQRT(29/146)
>> @-----. So, playing on helium should raise the pitch by over an octave,
>> CO2 will send you a few steps flat, and SF6 would put you in the bass
>> clarinet range (or between bass and Eb contra).
>>
I was just thinking. If you rigged up a canister of CO2 or SF6 to your Bb
clarinet with a foot switch, could you instantly convert it to an A
clarinet for tricky passages? Or conversely, add helium to your A to raise
it to a Bb? Downside: What happens when excess gas drifts into your
neighbor's instrument, throwing off his/her intonation? Would that be
considered noise pollution? :-)

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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