Klarinet Archive - Posting 000966.txt from 2003/03

From: "Joseph H. Fasel" <jhf@-----.gov>
Subj: Re: [kl] Cylinders vs. Cones: The Clarisoon
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 10:02:00 -0500

Aimee,

As I understand it, to the extent that a crumhorn overblows, it overblows
a 12th. The thing is that the overblown notes are not useable because you
can't control the reed. You'll get the same effect if you play an oboe or
shawm by placing your lips around the staple instead of the reed. A rackett
is not customarily played with embouchure control either.

I also do early instruments on occasion. I have a consort of cornamusen,
built from kits, and I'm thinking about building some crumhorns and a
great-bass rackett. I'm pleased to see your observation about embouchure
control with capped-reed instruments, because I had observed the same thing:
My chops were definitely tired after playing crumhorn or cornamuse for a while.
I also noticed that folks who are mostly recorder players seem to have much
more trouble with pitch control on a capped-reed instrument than I do.
It would seem that some embouchure is required, though I don't understand
why.

Cheers,
--Joe

On 2003.03.24 05:24 Aimee Cheers wrote:
> Bill wrote:
> > Although one of the web pages that I posted a moment ago explicitly says
> > that the krumhorn overblows a twelfth, the following web page says that
> > a krumhorn cannot overblow at all:
>
>
> I play in an early music consort, and we in fact had a rackett out just last
> night. We also have a set of krumhorns and torture one another with them
> occasionally! (I happen to enjoy it.....but that's just me.)
>
> The krumhorns do not overblow, as far as I can tell, and as far as I have
> been told at workshops and such. The rackett doesn't either. The krumhorn
> does have two keys above the left hand holes, like the clarinet's A key and
> register key, but neither functions like a register key.
>
> Interesting to me, is that playing the krumhorn (capped double reed) feels
> like playing an oboe, especially soprano and alto. It takes that much face
> muscle and support. The others in my group only play recorders, so for
> them, the krumhorn is physically exhausting. For me, it just brings back
> oboe memories, which is weird, as you are just blowing into a little hole.
>
> For what it's worth.
>
> Aimee Cheers
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

Joseph H. Fasel, Ph.D. email: jhf@-----.gov
Stockpile-Complex Modeling and Analysis phone: +1 505 667 7158
University of California fax: +1 505 667 2960
Los Alamos National Laboratory post: D-2 MS F609; Los Alamos, NM 87545

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