Klarinet Archive - Posting 000134.txt from 1999/04

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Material irrelivant comment
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 1999 06:58:49 -0500

On Fri, 2 Apr 1999, David Renaud wrote:

> Material does vibrate.
> Material vibration does effect sound.. because...

In the clarinet, what it is that vibrates is the air column. Imagine an
insignificant little air molecule inside a clarinet, bouncing against the
hard, shiny inside of a piece of dense grenadilla wood. What are the
chances that the air molecule could cause the wood to vibrate? Not too
good, I would say.

> Proof: Grab your barrel with your hand while playing. Listen to
> change in timbre. Same tube, reed, temperature, performer, moment...
> different sound. This proves restricting vibration of material by
> contact alters tone despite all else being identical.

How can you be sure you haven't changed the position of the reed on the
lip by changing the holding position of the hands? Can you prove that you
have not changed the air pressure?

> but I can't believe for a moment wood/plastic makes no difference.

That's part of the problem. This really isn't a matter of "belief." We
are not discussing religion here.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu

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