Klarinet Archive - Posting 001110.txt from 2003/03

From: "Joseph H. Fasel" <jhf@-----.gov>
Subj: Re: [kl] Cylinders vs. Cones
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 08:51:27 -0500

Alan,

I have a renaissance shawm, and it does overblow, although there is no octave
key. As I understand it, plenty of period music does call for the second octave.

The shawm has a long history in several cultures as a folk instrument; maybe it's
in some of this earlier histoy that it's considered a one-octave instrument. In
particular, I recall reading that in some times and places the custom was to use
a pirouette in which the reed was inserted as a lip support, rather than using
an oboe-like embouchure around the blades of the reed. With the reed in this
free-vibrating mode, the overblown notes are unuseable.

Cheers,
--Joe

On 2003.03.27 05:16 Alan Woodcock wrote:
> Yes, but I'm beginning to think that none of these instruments overblow,
> except perhaps sporadically and tunelessly. Bagpipe chanters don't even
> play more than one note.
>
> After posting my last reply I looked into Baines "Woodwind Instruments and
> their History". I find
>
> a) the cylindrical, single-reed chalumeau (ancestor of clarinet) did not
> overblow.
> b) the conical, double-reed shawm (ancestor of oboe) did not overblow.
> c) the cylindrical, double-reed cromorne did not overblow.
> d) there was no conical, single-reed instrument. (or, I didn't find it...)
>
> By "overblow" I mean "in a musically useful fashion". You can excite even
> a cromorne into a higher régime of oscillation (just touch one of the keys
> to make a leak while covering all holes) but I don't think anybody could
> play in this register.
>
> Since nothing overblew, people played music which did not require
> overblowing, and were (in general) quite happy.

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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