Klarinet Archive - Posting 000173.txt from 2004/08

From: "DWH" <dwh46@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Material influence on sound...one more time
Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2004 12:04:18 -0400

I have several brass-playing friends who, when you really push them to
qualify the actual reasons they think certain things work, i.e. gold caps or
bell ona silver instrument, gold-plated mouthpiece, heavy valve caps,
etc...will respond "it's all voodoo."

Don Hatfield

> "As far as the comment goes about the material not having an
> affect on the sound vibrations on a clarinet would be very
> different in the mater of metal, but for a different reason than
> the vibrations of the body. Everyone who is a brass player or a
> sax or flute player knows that silver, gold, platinum, brass and
> bronze all have very different playing response due to the
> affect of the airstream against the metal. The surface of the
> interior of the horn does affect the airstream, so why wouldn't
> the different woods have an affect on at least the airstream? I
> imagine that a solid gold clarinet or basset hound <grin> would
> have a very live and vibrant sound with more of the upper
> partials present than on wood instruments (probably too much
> so.)"
>
> Posing hypotheses and asking rhetorical questions about different
> circumstances (i.e., "so why wouldn't the different woods have an
> affect [sic] on at least the airstream") does not constitute an
> effective argument. In other words, the fact that one believes
> something about the effect of material on an airstream [on a
> brass instrument] does not mean that materials affect the
> character of sound produced on a clarinet.
>
> It is arguing by analogy; i.e., if thus-and-so produces this
> effect under those circumstances, why should it not produces the
> same effect under a different set of circumstances?
>
> I don't know. It doesn't. And arguing that it should doesn't
> help and it certainly does not clarify.
>
> Maybe different materials DO produce different characters of
> sound on clarinets. So many people believe that maybe it is
> true.
>
> If so, then establish some objective basis for this truth other
> than by asserting "well it does on a trumpet, so it must be so on
> a clarinet."
>
> Finally this: I know next to nothing about sound production on
> brass instruments. But I need a lot more than your assertion
> that "everyone who is a brass player ... knows that silver, gold,
> platinum, brass and bronze all have very different playing
> responses," is true. When someone says, "Everyone knows..." your
> first reaction should be to grab of and hold on to your wallet
> because you are about to be sold something that is not
> necessarily true and probably isn't.
>
> Dan Leeson

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