Klarinet Archive - Posting 000113.txt from 2000/02

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Velcro Ligature
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 23:23:06 -0500

On Wed, 02 Feb 2000 12:08:10 -0500, nw2v@-----.com said:

> You realize of course you are embarking on a trip into black magic
> when you suggest the ligature does nothing more than hold the reed on
> the mouthpiece. I wholly agree with you. Although I'm a mediocre
> clarinet player, I'm reasonably good at physics and I defy anyone to
> show me critical evidence that the ligature does anything but clamp
> the reed.

Well,

1. How the aircolumn vibrates depends on how the part of the reed in
contact with the aircolumn vibrates;

2. How the part of the reed in contact with the aircolumn vibrates
depends on how the part of the reed not in contact with the
aircolumn vibrates, because both are parts of the one reed;

3. The ligature is more or less in contact with the part of the reed
not in contact with the aircolumn; so:

4. How the part of the reed not in contact with the aircolumn vibrates
depends on how the ligature vibrates and how closely it is coupled
with the part of the reed not in contact with the aircolumn; and
finally:

5. How the ligature vibrates depends on its material and geometry.

So it's not all that surprising that different ligatures have different
effects on the sound, because as soon as you get into vibrations,
everything gets much more complicated.

I used to be surprised that it was difficult to make a really good
synthetic violin bow (whereas I wasn't surprised that it was difficult
to make a good violin) until I discovered that a violin bow vibrates.

Then I understood.

Of course, the violin bow doesn't *broadcast* any of these vibrations.
But they have an effect on the bow/string sound production mechanism.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE GMN family artist: www.gmn.com
tel/fax 01865 553339

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