Klarinet Archive - Posting 000113.txt from 1999/12

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] cylinders & cones
Date: Sat, 4 Dec 1999 20:38:47 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: Neil Leupold <leupold_1@-----.com>
Subject: Re: [kl] cylinders & cones

> --- GrabnerWG@-----.com wrote:
>
> > The bore size question is unclear. The clarinet bore is supposedly
> > cylindrical, but in practise, it varies in size several places. The
> > answer here is WAY to complicated to answer in an e-mail.
>
> But in the grand scheme of things, you're saying that the clarinet
> is categorized as a cylindrical bore instrument? I always thought
> it was conical, simply by intuition. 'Starts out narrow at one end
> and gets wider as you go down. This isn't the most exciting of sub-
> jects (it's boring, yes), but I'd be interested to know the common
> cone-ceptions on the subject (and hopefully spawn a few more really
> bad clarinet jokes in the process).

The clarinet bell gives a deceptive impression of the clarinet shape. If it
were conical in shape, you would no longer have a clarinet but a saxophone.
Here is the basic acoustical classifications of how the instruments function
not what they may (deceptively) appear to be.

Cylindrical pipe, closed at one end, single beating reed
Clarinet

Cylindrical pipe, open at both ends
Flute

Conical pipe, closed at one end, single beating reed
Saxophone

Conical pipe, closed at one end, double beating reed

Believe it or not the oboe bore flares, proportionately, more than the
clarinet. Basically you ignore the bell and look at the percent flare of
the body.

It is the closed at one end, cylindrical pipe functionality that makes the
clarinet overblow the twelfth rather than the octave and gives us our unique
tone color. It is what makes the clarinet's low notes speak easily for
beginners where other woodwinds have difficulty on the low notes for
beginners. It also explains our unique tuning characteristics.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD

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