Klarinet Archive - Posting 001179.txt from 1999/03

From: "Craig D. Butcher" <cbutcher@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Tuners - what's a good one to buy?
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 08:48:58 -0500

--------------3A7F69B36716BCDBD491832F

>
>
> Yes. But I think Joshua just clarified this for me and it MAY mean that
> I'm finally starting to learn the difference between a C and a Bb
> instrument.

Recalls me of my wife's reaction when I told her my clarinet C was actually a
B flat, so I couldn't just play along with my daughter on her violin, I'd
have to transpose, and I couldn't do that on the fly (being not very
competent). She looked at me as if I were clearly involved in perpetrating
some kind of fraud, and frankly couldn't believe that instruments weren't all
made to play the same pitch. (In middle school she played violin only for
two years, so she has led a sheltered life). When I told her about E flat,
A, and even C clarinets, she became incensed. "Why don't they just switch
everything to C?" she asked. "The violin is a C instrument, isn't it?"
Well, because all the guys I regularly hang out with--the clarinets and
brass--would be playing in B flat...(except for the flutes...and some of the
horns...and...) I told her we'd have better luck getting the violins to tune
to B flat. She thought that was stupid, too. Why should the only rationally
tuned instruments have to change, she wanted to know. (Of course the answer
is simple: you can't stretch a clarinet, but a violin string is more
flexible in this regard). Actually her question is a good one, and I gave
her the stock answer about fingerings and primitive instruments, and
temperaments, although when I looked into it, actually there isn't any clear
answer except that it happened out that way by historical accident, like the
QWERTY keyboard.

But the most amusing thing is her frank incomprehension at this prime
example, in her view, of the insurmountable, innate stupidity of human
beings.

--------------3A7F69B36716BCDBD491832F

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
--------------3A7F69B36716BCDBD491832F--