Klarinet Archive - Posting 000183.txt from 2000/05

From: Mark Thiel <thielm@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Bells & whistles
Date: Thu, 4 May 2000 07:29:54 -0400

Walter Grabner wrote:
>Yes, in theory the bore is cylindrical, but due to the fact that the
clarint
>overblows in 12ths, and the natural overtone series is NOT intune with
the
>tempered scale, all manufacturers have introduced "perturbations'" in
the
>bores of their clarinets to make up for the basic tuning problems.

But the fact that clarinets use odd harmonics seems to me to be a very
minor
factor in all the complications of getting a clarinet in tune. After
all, a natural
twelfth is very close (about 2 cents, I think) to a well-tempered
twelfth.
I think we would be happy as clams if a clarinet acted like a
THEORETICAL
perfectly cylindrical closed pipe. Most of the polycylindrical,
conical, etc. tweaking
to the bore is needed because a clarinet doesn't work like a simple
closed
pipe that has been sawed off at just the right length; the mouthpiece
doesn't
work like a tight cap and the open tone holes act like different lengths
of
pipe depending on the frequency.

In fact, isn't it harder to get a saxophone to play octaves, than to get
a clarinet
to play twelfths, perfect, well-tempered or otherwise?

Mark Thiel

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org