Klarinet Archive - Posting 000582.txt from 2001/10

From: "Karl Krelove" <kkrelove@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Real Questions Here
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 08:38:25 -0400

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Moody [mailto:LetsReason@-----.com]
> Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 8:03 AM
>

> ...Generally, my intonation is good, but I
> sometimes find that I need to pull almost to cork in the winter
> when playing
> with strings or flutes.
>

A couple of quick reactions to your questions:

1. If the problem you're noticing is truly seasonal, the likelihood that
ONLY the barrel is responsible or can san solve it seems to me small. If
your equipment reacts that noticeably (after adequate warm-up), it seems to
me you'd need to look more at the materials used over the entire system or
the environment in which you're keeping it when it isn't in use. I'm not
sure why the barrel alone would change in the winter to cause a problem
you're not having otherwise. A seasonal change would be caused by some
_change_ in the dimensions, not the manufactured measurements themselves.

2. You mention, in particular, strings and flutes. But most flute players
(excepting really excellent ones) play with slightly different intonation in
each register. My experience is that they are frequently in tune in the
middle, flat in the lower octave and sharp in the highest octave. No barrel
(or any other equipment adjustment) will make adjustment unnecessary.
Strings tend to be hard to feel in tune with because of their vibrato (which
is also a part of the problem with flutes). Since their vibrato is a
periodic pitch variation, it's very easy to conclude you're out of tune with
a string section producing a collective sound that isn't, because they don't
vibrate together, in tune with itself.

None of this (point #2) ought to be seasonal. The severity of these
particular problems also depends heavily on whom you're playing with.
Excellent flute players are aware of their own intonation headaches and
adjust to even out their own tuning. A really high level, well rehearsed
string section can play with enough uniformity of vibrato that you can find
a consistent place in the sound where you feel "in tune."

I'm interested, too, in responses to your original question about barrel
dimensions (that I snipped out of this reply). There are many problems of
intonation and tone shape that can be affected by the barrel, and we don't
tend to talk about this as much as we do about mouthpieces and reeds.

FWIW,
Karl Krelove

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