Klarinet Archive - Posting 000464.txt from 2004/10

From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Air flow
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 08:50:41 -0400

At 11:17 PM 10/15/2004 -0500, Bill Hausmann wrote:
>"Echoton" is what is known in English as "subtone."

Aha! I know what subtoning is. Thank you for taking pity on this ignorant
American.

Subtoning is not what I would consider a characteristic tone. Absolutely
wonderful in jazz and many other other musics, but not of interest in
talking about the most efficient way to play the clarinet. Subtoning is
inherently inefficient (and quite beautiful) but, as a result, can make for
miserable sounding classical staccato and is often flat and.. well, it has
drawbacks.

A wonderful way to choose to play, not so wonderful a way to have to play.

>You may THINK you are hearing the sound of the reed hitting the
>mouthpiece, but what you are REALLY hearing is the excitation the column
>of air inside the clarinet by rapidly starting and stopping the airflow by
>means of the reed acting as a valve. If the reed does not close all the
>way, you get that fuzzy subtone sound, since the air column is still
>excited, but not as thouroughly. And actually, if you use a reed that it
>much too soft, you may indeed hear the slapping of the reed against the
>mouthpiece resulting in a flabby, reedy tone.

I never said I hear the sound of reed hitting the mouthpiece. I said the
reed needs to hit the mouthpiece. It appears my one hand clapping analogy
is incorrect (although, perhaps effective, nonetheless). I'm gradually
revising this idea as I get more feedback from the physicists and engineers
on the list, but I'm not entirely clear.

It is true air is required (I do hope no one disagrees with me on this!).

It is true the reed must vibrate.

It does appear, to get what most people consider to be a classically
characteristic sound, the reed has to strike the mouthpiece. This does
*not* mean the reed is acting as a percussion instrument, but while this
point is very valid, it seems unimportant in understanding what to do
physically (yet very important in understanding how the system functions).
If the reed does not strike the mouthpiece, echoton (and people thought I
wasn't trainable!) occurs. I'm not after echoton, however.

As I have said to Tony, I have no interest in teaching professionals (who
are more than welcome to subtone to their heart's content). I do have a
great interest in teaching young students. If I seem to be overly pedantic
about this, it is merely because 1. I want to learn and 2. I am developing
an understanding of the physics of the clarinet which I can explain to
non-clarinet playing band directors which will, hopefully, allow them to
correct common faults and get characteristic sounds out of even their most
beginning clarinet students.

More importantly, if you go to the typical clarinet methods class for band
directors in college, you will find a bunch of disconnected "facts" that
seem to have no relation and are taken on faith. I aim to create method
classes which emphasize the interrelation and understanding of these facts.
I hope to create method classes which explain cause and effect instead of
saying things like "Well, I've played on a <insert brand> mouthpiece my
entire career so it should be good enough for your students". I suspect
Tony would support me in this goal.

So, I will stand by my statement that the reed must strike the mouthpiece.
Please commence fire.

>Softer reeds are required on open mouthpieces not so they will strike the
>mouthpiece, but so they will completely close the "valve." It is, of
>course, easier to produce a subtone on an open mouthpiece, too, by using a
>harder reed.

Ah, strike does imply a different phenomenon than the closing of a valve.
Perhaps I should say the reed must touch the mouthpiece?

-Adam

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