Klarinet Archive - Posting 000947.txt from 2002/11

From: "Tim Roberts" <timr@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Brass vs Woodwind
Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 18:08:48 -0500

I have an odd question for y'all.

When one looks at the modern wind band today, one sees two very different
classes of instruments: the valved instruments with a solid metal mouthpiece,
and the keyed instruments with a reed-based mouthpiece (granting an exception
for flutes).

In my reading, I have never encountered a description of a valved reed
instrument, and I have occasionally wondered why this should be. The
mouthpiece hole in a trumpet is roughly the same diameter as the bocal on a
bassoon, so an experiment should be possible.

Is there something fundamental about the woodwind mouthpiece that makes it
unsuitable for valving, and conversely something fundamental about the brass
mouthpiece that makes it unsuitable for keywork?

--
- Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

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