Klarinet Archive - Posting 000572.txt from 2004/10

From: "Forest Aten" <forestaten@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Some more thoughts on embouchures
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 11:22:43 -0400


At 09:28 AM 10/21/2004 -0500, Forest Aten wrote:
>I am at a huge loss as to why you think the tip of the reed must/does have
>to contact the mouthpiece to produce a characteristic sound on the single
>reed instrument?

I would refer you to the recent on-list conversations between Bill Hausmann
and I. As well as, I believe (I can't find my copy right now), the most
recent issue of The Clarinet. I guess I should have prefaced my earlier
comments regarding this agreement with "speak now or forever hold your
peace" =).

And I'm not talking about echoton!

-Adam

Adam,

I base my what I know on four years of work with Dr. Lee Gibson and in the
work of Art Benade. I hold all of Art's notes regarding single reed
mouthpiece design, reeds and ligatures. (sound generation system) These
documents will soon (if not already) be available at the Stanford University
library. I would trust this information well before Bill's perspective and I
have not read the most recent article in The Clarinet so can't speak to that
reference.

The action of the player blowing across the reed causes the pressure
oscillation at the tip of the reed, a pressure antinode. Air rushing back
and forth into the open hole creates a motion antinode at that point, and
squeezes the air in to contribute to a large pressure variation at the
mouthpiece. Pressure variation excites the air molecules and establishes the
wave form. This process does not require the reed tip to touch the
mouthpiece or to close completely at the mouthpiece tip to establish sound.
As a matter of fact, it is likely that there would be serious defect in the
quality of sound being produced if enough air pressure was introduced to
force the reed tip to touch the mouthpiece tip. This in the form of "noise".
The dimensions of the mouthpiece and bore of the clarinet determine the
nature of the wave form (and sound) once introduced. (material has
negligible effect)

Forest Aten

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