Klarinet Archive - Posting 000916.txt from 2001/10

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] RE: klarinet Digest 30 Oct 2001 09:15:00 -0000 Issue 3423
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 13:25:29 -0500

On Tue, 30 Oct 2001 09:26:17 -0700, 100012.1302@-----.com said:

> I think this is a good description, Elise. I think that what is
> happening technically, is "impedance matching". In an audio amplifier
> you match the output impedance of the amp to the input impedance of
> the speaker. This is so that you maximise the power transfer to the
> speakers. I think this is an exact analogue; one's oral cavities are
> the output of the breath/support stream, and these need to be matched
> to the vibrating system of the clarinet. Practically, how one does it
> is as you describe, making ones mouth smaller for the high notes (yes,
> eeeeek!). A way of thinking it is to think of singing the note (yes I
> know we can't sing that high but the effect is the same). I think this
> is separate from airstream considerations.

That something *like* this occurs when we play is certainly true.

But, there's a paper by Professor Raymond L Wheeler, Central Washington
State College. (I saw it as a photocopy sent to me by Abe Galper, of an
article in 'The Clarinet', perhaps Spring 1978, reprinted from an
earlier appearance, in Spring 1977, in the Journal of the National
Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, NACWPI.)

It's called, "Pedagogic concepts for reed instrument performance, based
on cineradiographic research of the oral cavity".

For me, the most interesting bit of it was the simplest, namely the
assertion that the back of the tongue moves down and forward -- *has to*
move down and forward -- as the frequency of the played note increases.
So, for higher notes, the back of your tongue is lower, and for lower
notes, higher in the mouth.

But Wheeler also says that you can't feel yourself doing that directly.
So it's something you have to find out by trial and error.

Raising the *middle* of the tongue, however, I agree can help in the way
you mention.

And -- sorry to keep referring to this, but the information is
fascinating:

http://www.sneezy.org/Databases/Logs/1998/12/000764.txt

It shows that 'impedance matching' can't be the exact analogue of how we
play high notes.

Tony
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