Klarinet Archive - Posting 000726.txt from 2000/05

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Eb on bell
Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 09:43:14 -0400

Roger, I think the answer can be determined empirically. There are a
few clarinettists who have two different lower joints for their
instruments. One such joint is traditional and permits the instrument
to descend to the low E-natural. The other joint makes the instrument
into a basset clarinet by virtue of the fact that it permits descent to
low C. Either joint fits on an unaltered upper joint which remains
unmodified.

In the two such instruments that I have seen, there was no perceptible
difference in the placement of any tone holes down to and including low
E, but it is possible that the difference was so slight as to be not
noticeable without some sophisticated measurement.

However, and it is a very BIG however, there is clearly no difference at
all in the tone hole spacing for the upper joint. Yet your suggestion
is that adding a low E-flat to a clarinet might require a relocation of
ALL tone holes, something with which I am not in agreement.

To do as you suggest appears to me to violate physics. A note is at a
certain pitch because of the length of the vibrating air column.
Changing that length for all notes (which is synonymous with what you
say) is going to change the pitch of every note. It is not a matter of
proportion but of absolute length.

Roger Shilcock wrote:
>
> Dan L.,
> Surely an instrument built to low E flat and one built to low E should
> have
> all their holes in slightly different places?
> Roger S.
>
> On Sat, 13 May 2000, Daniel Leeson wrote:
>
> > Date: Sat, 13 May 2000 12:31:06 -0700
> > From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
> > Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
> > To: klarinet@-----.org
> > Subject: Re: [kl] Eb on bell
> >
> > The lowest tone of a clarinet is created by having the air column exit
> > the instrument out of the bell. Thus, on a standard clarinet, fingering
> > low e creates the lowest tone by virtue of the fact that depressing the
> > e key closes the lowest hole on the instrument and the air column that
> > is created is the longest.
> >
> > To get a low E-flat, the instrument must be longer and you need an extra
> > hole somewhere below the hole that is closed when low e is fingered. On
> > a soprano clarinet that plays a low e-flat, that extra hole (and pad to
> > close it so that the air goes out the bell) is on the body of the
> > instrument which has been made longer to accomodate the hole.
> >
> > On some bass clarinets, that extra length is accomplished by putting the
> > e-flat hole (and pad to close it) on the bell. On a bass clarinet that
> > extends to low c, the holes for e, e-flat, d, and d-flat are on the body
> > of the instrument and the hole which when closed gives the lowest tone
> > or low c is on the bell.
> >
> > In the case of the instrument you speak of, the manufacturer had two
> > choices. Extend the wood long enough to put the hole for the e-flat on
> > the body of the horn or else to put it on the bell. It makes better
> > financcial sense to put it on the bell because that way he uses the same
> > body for a bass clarinet that goes down to low e as for one that goes
> > down to low e-flat; i.e., its a little more keywork and a different bell
> > rather than a different body.
> >
> > William Wright wrote:
> > >
> > > Several auctions have described a bass clarinet as having "Eb on
> > > the bell". I assume this means that the keywork extends to the bell
> > > with a bridge of some sort. Are all bass clarinets built this way?
> > > And a related question: does a bass clarinet change into some other
> > > standard instrument if you replace the neck with a simple barrel and the
> > > curved bell with an 'ordinary' bell.
> > >
> > > Thank you,
> > > Bill
> > >
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> >
> > --
> > ***************************
> > ** Dan Leeson **
> > ** leeson0@-----.net **
> > ***************************
> >
> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
> >
>
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--
***************************
** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
***************************

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