Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 2007/08

From: "Catherine Bickley" <catherine.bickley@-----.uk>
Subj: [kl] Re: Clarinet Manufacture - Differences between French and German -
Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 05:43:06 -0400


> Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 21:37:54 -0700
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> From: "Kevin Fay" <kevin.fay.home@-----.net>
> Subject: RE: [kl] Re: Clarinet Manufacture - Differences=20
> between French and German - Wood is a "Living" Material
> Message-ID: <000301c7d4be$e49e68d0$face1218@hal>
> Keywords: Music
>=20
> Tome Henson posted:
>=20
> <<<Is this scientific enough for you Forest? =20
>=20
> US Patent # 190254 filed on 7-5-2002>>>
>=20
> . . . and Forest Aten replied:
>=20
> <<<And this has what to do with the sound that comes out of a=20
> clarinet?>>>
>=20
> It does not surprise me that the U.S. PTO granted a patent=20
> for - hitting a
> piece of wood with a hammer. Hmmmmm.
>=20
> I'm afraid that I have to agree w/ Forest here. The walls of=20
> a clarinet
> don't vibrate, at least not in any way meaningful to the=20
> sound. It's the
> *air column* vibrating that we hear.
>=20
> Big Debate a few years back on the list whether material makes any
> difference at all. I can see where porosity might have some effect on
> overtones, and perhaps even density - but two different=20
> pieces of mpingo?=20
>=20
> Methinks it makes a difference if soaked in snake oil, perhaps.
>=20
> kjf =20
>=20

A couple of minor additions - if I'm reading it correctly the patent isn't=
for the 'tap test' method but for the instrument that has been produced=
from design criteria based on resonance of the wood. This type of testing=
is a standard technique which I've used in the past to assess resonant=
structures both for modal analysis and in determining the effectiveness of=
damping treatments.

I am not sure about it's relevance to the sound production from a clarinet.=
Possibly the tap test is a way of determining pieces of wood with less=
even grain, or with hidden faults in the wood that may lead to cracks -=
this is all conjecture and gut feeling and I have no evidence to back it=
up.

I do wonder if we claim no wall vibration to quickly. Holding my clarinet=
by the barrel and blowing an open G I can feel some vibration. Perhaps the=
tap test has the effect of identifying those pieces of wood which have=
properties such that more of the energy input into the system is=
transferred into the vibration of the air column and thus into the sound=
the listener hears and less into the vibration of the wood that doesn't=
add to the sound.

I repeat this is mere conjecture, I haven't done any experimentation, just=
been thinking round the issue whilst waiting for the conductor to finally=
finish rehearsing 'just the strings'!

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