Klarinet Archive - Posting 001033.txt from 1999/05

From: Spiegelthal.Dave@-----.COM
Subj: [kl] Re: Materials, yet again
Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 14:51:02 -0400

Kevin Fay wrote about one of our favorite threads, namely, materials. I'd like
to muddy the waters further with my own mix of mouthpiece and instrument
materials: I play a plastic bass clarinet with a crystal mouthpiece and a metal
ligature on a cane reed. I play a wooden B-flat clarinet with either a wood or
crystal or hard rubber mouthpiece, with either a cane reed or a synthetic
(Legere) reed, and either a metal or a fabric ligature. Although I can't really
say for sure, it's my belief that I can sound equally good (or bad?) on any of
these combinations, and that you, the listener, would not be able to guess what
materials I was playing on. How's that for confusion? By the way, I've got
some formal engineering training and work experience in the fields of acoustics
and materials science, and it's my humble (and certainly arguable) opinion that
the material choice ALONE for the clarinet and/or the mouthpiece has essentially
no effect on the tone, essentially because the low acoustic power of the
vibrating air column inside a clarinet is insufficient to excite the high-mass
and moderately damped walls of the clarinet, mouthpiece, and barrel, and
re-radiation is insignificant (and probably unmeasurable even very close). My
belief is that the bore size and shape, mouthpiece facing shape and internal
shape, and tone hole placements and shape are really the ONLY equipment factors
(other than having a good reed!) that determine tone. The player himself is, as
has been pointed out by Tony Pay and others, probably the biggest factor. Other
than the effects of dimensional stability (with time and changes in temperature
and humidity), ability to machine sharp edges (see Benade's paper), and
resistance to physical or chemical damage, I honestly belief that a skilled
maker could produce a wonderful (or poor, or average) instrument out of any
material, ranging from firm Jello to plaster of Paris or whatever, as long as
all the dimensions can be machined properly and held that way. Those of us who
believe in magic materials for musical success are, IMHO, akin to people who are
convinced that Slick 50 will make their car engines last forever, or that
Splitfire spark plugs will give them more power or better gas mileage.
Self-delusion is, unfortunately, a common affliction in the US (and elsewhere?).
Flames, please?
Dave Spiegelthal
Calverton, VA

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