Klarinet Archive - Posting 000014.txt from 2000/01

From: klara <klahall@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Concert A
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2000 14:42:17 -0500

On Sat, 01 Jan 2000 15:20:02 +0800 Karel Vahala <vahalakv@-----.au>
writes:
>Why is the oboe used to give the orchestra concert A to tune to?
>
>Just nosy.
>Karel.

actually, I think that is a good question.
I will jump in with my 2cents worth immediately. and hope others will
expand or verify,
or contest.

I still wondered the same myself, after reading that the oboe was
generally the tuning pitch before the clarinet was invented (the reason
given that it was the least flexible of theinstruments at that time).
when the oboe was occasionally absent from community orchestra, I would
give the pitch. my experience was that the clarinet sound would
disappear when the strings played, so was not a clear standard. so the
clarinet sound trait of blending well interferes with its ability to
establish the tuning note for orchestra. this problem is not as severe
in wind groups/bands.

I wish that the clarinet was effective for tuning note because the
acoustical physics that make the best tone quality near the top of the
pitch range, rather than in the middle as the other wind instruments.
the practical result is that clarinets run out of the ability to go sharp
before the other wind instruments.
while the general tendency for players to prefer to be slightly sharp
than flat, clarinetists have the quickest feedback if the pitch center
goes too high.

the other orchestral wind instruments can adjust to sharper pitch, but
after the point where the clarinet can follow without equipment change,
the tone color begins to suffer. (suffer is opinion, so make that
*changes*).

inexperienced or weak string players are the most likely to carry
creeping sharpness to extremes, even fine experienced players often like
to be a bit sharp. (maybe it has
something to do with the open 5th tuning)

annhall

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