Klarinet Archive - Posting 000144.txt from 2007/09

From: "Daniel Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Blow out
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:26:20 -0400

Someone asked what blow-out is.

There is a belief in the world of clarinet players that the act of playing
the instrument causes it to deteriorate over time. What aspect of playing
causes this is unclear. Among the elements offered as a contributing factor
to an instrument being blown out are swabbing, the effect of saliva, the
tendency of wood to expand and contract, and a number of other factors. No
one is really certain which factor (if any) is responsible for the
instrument's alleged deterioration over time.

What is said to happen to a clarinet that is blown out (or is in a stage of
its life heading towards its being blown out) is some or all of the
following: intonation problems, resistance, general unsuitability, often
expressed as "not playing as it used to play."

I think I wrote a piece about blow out as part of a series of pieces I was
asked to write about the clarinet and clarinet playing, but I have no idea
how to find it. The bottom line of that piece was that there was no reliable
science that explained the phenomenon or even confirmed its existence. Some
believe that it was simply the improvement of the player's ability, which,
in turn, allowed him/her to be more sensitive to problems that had been
there all the time. Another view was that instrument manufacturers
continually assert the existence of the problem because it leads to greater
sales. It is a variation of the view that the government keeps in a
frightened state to serve their political ends.

The belief in blow out as a genuine phenomenon varies from instrument to
instrument. Oboists seem to be more concerned about it than any other
instrumentalist. There is said to be one oboist in Los Angeles who changes
his instrument every year. I know of no case of a contrabassoon ever being
said to be blown out.

You might take a look at the KLARINET list and do a search on the subject.
You will find a lot of opinion, and very little hard science.

Dan Leeson
dnleeson@-----.net
SKYPE: dnleeson

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