Klarinet Archive - Posting 000296.txt from 1999/04

From: "Tim Roberts" <timr@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] re: Density of Wood
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1999 13:11:12 -0400

On Sat, 03 Apr 1999 03:58:47 -0800, David Renaud wrote:

>Fred Jacobowitz wrote:
>
>> The Actual surface texture is crucial to sound. Ask any acoustician.
>> Surfaces reflect and refract sound, greatly affecting sound quality.
>> The inside of plastic clarinets is completely smooth while that of
>> wooden clarinets is grainy. I am POSITIVE that therein lies as much
>> of a difference.
>
>If the vibration of the material makes no difference, then why does
>grabing hold of the barrel while playing, restricting vibration, alter
>the timbre slightly?

My first answer would be "because you want it to." Given a mechanical air
source and mechanical pressure on the barrel, I'd wager good money that an
unbiased observer would not be able to tell when pressure was applied to and
released from the barrel.

I would point folks to the following Scientific American article, mentioned on
this very mailing list in February, 1998, which states among other things that
as long as wooden walls are thicker than 2 mm, they will not vibrate.

http://www.sciam.com/1998/0398issue/0398scicit3.html

--
- Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

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