Klarinet Archive - Posting 000045.txt from 2001/03

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Strange clarinet, finding key/pitch?
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2001 14:28:38 -0500

On Fri, 02 Mar 2001 06:57:35 -0500, bhausmann1@-----.com said:

> At 08:31 PM 3/1/2001 -0500, Eric Mumpower wrote:
> >
> > > My guess is that is it a HIGH pitch Bb.
> >
> > An interesting guess, and one that had't occurred to me. (I don't
> > think I had realized that high pitch might be so far above modern
> > pitch.) Can anyone tell me what frequency A was used in high-pitch
> > instruments? A little web searching suggests 462.5Hz, but there's
> > not a lot of consensus out there.
>
> One of the main reasons they came up with the A=440 standard is that
> there WAS no standard pitch. They tuned all over the place, varying
> by location. Some places used A=452, but if you traveled to another
> place you might find another pitch altogether! Very tough on
> itinerant musicians. Yours is probably set up to play wherever "home"
> pitch was to the owner.
>
>
> > (* This clarinet was sold in an odd old 3-clarinet case with two
> > other longer clarinets of identical keywork, S/N J1xx and K4xx,
> > which after a bit of testing I find are definitely modern-pitch A
> > and Bb instruments, respectively.)
>
> This is consistent with my guess. Since this instrument was owned
> during the transition to standard pitch, the owner probably still
> needed the high pitch instrument to play with some groups (bands, most
> likely, whose old instruments could not be retuned), while the Low
> Pitch set was for playing with organizations that had adopted the new
> standard (orchestras, whose string players would have relatively
> little trouble adjusting). By the way, the other two date to 1895 and
> 1896, respectively, so all three were probably bought at about the
> same time, likely by a professional. All this is speculation, but
> EDUCATED speculation.

You're probably right, Bill. Still, 460Hz and above seems very high to
me. A@-----. Perhaps
it's an American phenomenon that I just haven't encountered or heard
about.

Where on the web did you get the 462.5Hz, Eric?

Anyhow, the instrument *is* a clarinet in H at 440, so, you're still
lucky with Cosi. I'm sure some professionals would be interested to
borrow or hire it from you:-)

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

... Feet smell? Nose runs? Hey, you're upside down!

---------------------------------------------------------------------
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