Klarinet Archive - Posting 000218.txt from 2004/11

From: kimi <kimi_kimy@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Clarinets
Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2004 14:46:45 -0500


--- dnleeson <dnleeson@-----.net> wrote:

> Well it is not as simple a question as you might
> think. And in
> order to create an answer that can be understood by
> someone who
> has no experience in music is not at all easy.
>
> Unlike any other member of the family of woodwind
> instruments,
> the clarinet is made in a large variety of pitches
> or keys. Why
> this is necessary is really what you want to know,
> but for the
> moment take that as a given. There is a need to
> have them in a
> variety of keys.
>
> So the first question is, how does make clarinets in
> a variety of
> keys?
>
> That's easy: you simply make the body of the
> instrument longer
> and it will be in a different key.
>
> What does this mean from a practical point of view?
>
> Envision a table with five clarinets on it. The
> first one is two
> feet long, the next two and 1/3 feet long. The next
> two and 2/3
> feet long. The fourth is 3 feet long and the fifth
> is 3 and 1/3
> feet long. Each clarinet has a mouthpiece and a
> reed and you
> daughter is asked to play a simple scale on the
> shortest one.
>
> She picks it up and plays a simple scale perfectly.
>
> Then she goes to the next clarinet and plays the
> same scale. By
> that I mean that she puts her fingers in the same
> physical
> positions that she employed for the first clarinet.
>
> Then she does the same with the third clarinet, and
> the fourth,
> and the fifth.
>
> She has taken an identical set of finger positions
> on each of
> five different length clarinets.
>
> So a question for you: since she used identical
> finger positions
> on each of the five instruments, what do you expect
> to hear?
>
> Will you hear five identical scales, or will you
> hear five
> distinctly different scales?
>
> Your turn, please.
>
> Dan Leeson
> DNLeeson@-----.net
>
>
The scale is the same however, the pitch will change
due to each clarinet carrying a different pitch. At
least that is how I'm understanding it. LOL :P
k

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