Klarinet Archive - Posting 000541.txt from 2003/07

From: Audrey Travis <vsofan@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] Material (was anyone interested in saxophone)
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2003 20:04:35 -0400

The person you probably spoke to was Morrie Backun of Vancouver, who made
David Shifrin's barrel (and bell) and had worked to fine tune David's
instrument. My understanding (from Morrie) is that he was making David a
brand new basset clarinet and had hoped to have it ready for Clarinetfest,
but it didn't happen.

Audrey

> Bill Hausmann wrote:
> It's an old and tired discussion, but.....
>
> In Salt Lake, I talked with several mouthpiece & barrel & bell &
> instrument makers & technicians about 'material vs. shape of air
> column'. I expected a majority to agree with the 'air column controls
> everything' theory, but the majority of them were *vehement* that
> material makes a difference if you are skilled enough to bring out the
> differences on a consistent basis. If your sound is wobbly or
> inconsistent, then material is irrelevant, of course.
>
> As an example, I noticed the unusual shape of David Shifrin's basset
> barrel when he played K.622, and (not knowing to whom I was talking at
> first) I happened to ask the fellow who made Shifrin's barrel, "I wonder
> how the barrel is shaped inside?" He replied that it is 'straight" (I
> assume he meant a straight taper rather than a curved taper), but he
> told me that he worked for some length of time to find an exterior shape
> such that the extra material can add a particular quality to the sound.
> Obviously you need to have the basic sounds, and to have them down pat,
> before you can begin to 'fine tune' them, and therefore nobody is going
> to sound like David Shifrin simply by buying a certain barrel. But
> again, I was surprised how vehement several people at Salt Lake who have
> top-grade reputations were that material makes a difference once a
> musician is truly in control of his playing.
>
> FWIW
>
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