Klarinet Archive - Posting 000740.txt from 2004/07

From: "Lars Kirmser" <musictrader@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Character of sound based on medium
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2004 16:29:04 -0400

Actually Tony, there exists many differences, and some basic similarities
when comparing the three musical systems. I didn't mean to imply that there
were NO similarities. It's interesting, as I read the commentary on this and
every other music-related list, how every musician seems to have an opinion
on this topic, yet the vast majority have never participated in a formal
course in (musical) Acoustics. This I became acutely aware of, after having
taught musical acoustics for 18 years. It's a funny thing about closely held
opinions, unaffected by reason. I will now bow-out and become a silent
member on this topic.

Lars Kirmser
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Pay" <tony_pay@-----.uk>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2004 11:38 AM
Subject: Re: [kl] Character of sound based on medium

> --- Lars Kirmser <musictrader@-----.com> wrote:
>
> > Again, PLEASE understand this elementary fact: the acoustic principles
of
> > woodwinds are UNIQUE and quite different from the acoustics of
brasswinds.
>
> Rather, SOME of the acoustic principles of woodwinds are different from
the
> acoustic principles of brasswinds. They have in common that they consist
> fundamentally of a vibrating aircolumn, as distinct from a vibrating
instrument
> body, as in string instruments.
>
> And please DON'T SHOUT, particularly when you're on insecure ground
yourself.
>
> One of the ways in which the two systems are similar is that vibrations of
the
> walls of the material, whilst not broadcasting significant energies
themselves,
> may affect the response of the instrument as a second order effect. This
> should be especially obvious when you consider the mouthpiece/reed
vibrating
> system. Here, whether the mouthpiece vibrates significantly or not makes
a
> difference to how the reed vibrates. Similarly, massive thick-walled
brass
> mouthpieces respond differently from light, thin-walled ones.
>
> In passing, that some experiment with some guys listening to some tubes
proved
> that they couldn't tell the difference between some honks isn't at all
> interesting, I'd say. I, and others of us who don't care, get on with the
far
> more important job of finding some clarinet made of some material made to
some
> design whose response allows us to play music in the way we think it ought
to
> go.
>
> The fact that *most* people can't hear what our concerns are in this
regard
> doesn't mean that those concerns are meaningless. Those concerns, and the
fact
> that we *can* hear the difference between how we played yesterday and how
we
> play today, constitute what allows us to get better.
>
> Some of us *do* get better. And part of that is the process of changing
reeds,
> instruments, mouthpieces, etc, as well the process of practising.
>
> Be thankful for it -- and if you've any sense, employ it to the extent it
works
> for you.
>
> Tony
>
>
>
>
>
Messenger - sooooo many all-new ways to express yourself
http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
>
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>
>

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