Klarinet Archive - Posting 000761.txt from 2003/02

From: b1rite@-----. Rite)
Subj: Re: [kl] Mouthpiece pitch by itself
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 15:35:57 -0500

<><> Richard=A0Bush wrote:
Of course. How else would you tune a mouthpiece band? ;)

....okay, humorous quips aside, it was a serious question.

Obviously the body of a clarinet influences the final intonation.
Otherwise we wouldn't discuss whether one clarinet body has better
intonation than another clarinet body.

I'm wondering to what extent, if any, different mouthpiece designs rely
on the instrument's body to establish the final intonation, and thereby
the mouthpiece's manufacturer has some freedom to vary the mouthpiece's
pitch (albeit remaining in the general neighborhood of E6b) in order to
achieve a particular timbre or 'sound' when attached to an instrument?

For example, is there a 'published' mouthpiece pitch to which all
mouthpiece manufacturers strive to conform which corresponds to A=3D440
for the entire instrument?

Thank you,
Bill <who thinks that he's asking a reasonable question>

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