Klarinet Archive - Posting 000145.txt from 2007/09

From: myrnabs@-----.net
Subj: Re: [kl] Blow out
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:31:36 -0400

Dan,=0AThis explanation is AMAZING!! Thank you so very much for doing this =
for us! I'm bowing down to you! =0A =0A =0AMyrnabs=0APlay the music, not =
the instrument. ~Author Unknown =0A =0Ahttp://www.pbase.com/myrnabs =0A =0A=
http://www.scentsy.com/myrnabs =0A =0Ahttp://www.myrnabs.blogspot.com =0A =
=0Ahttp://www.myspace.com/myrnasaldana =0A =0A=0A=0A----- Original Message =
----=0AFrom: Daniel Leeson <dnleeson@-----.net>=0ATo: "klarinet@woodwin=
d. org" <klarinet@-----.org>=0ASent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 11:26:20=
AM=0ASubject: [kl] Blow out=0A=0A=0ASomeone asked what blow-out is.=0A=0AT=
here is a belief in the world of clarinet players that the act of playing=
=0Athe instrument causes it to deteriorate over time. What aspect of playin=
g=0Acauses this is unclear. Among the elements offered as a contributing fa=
ctor=0Ato an instrument being blown out are swabbing, the effect of saliva,=
the=0Atendency of wood to expand and contract, and a number of other facto=
rs. No=0Aone is really certain which factor (if any) is responsible for the=
=0Ainstrument's alleged deterioration over time.=0A=0AWhat is said to happe=
n to a clarinet that is blown out (or is in a stage of=0Aits life heading t=
owards its being blown out) is some or all of the=0Afollowing: intonation p=
roblems, resistance, general unsuitability, often=0Aexpressed as "not playi=
ng as it used to play."=0A=0AI think I wrote a piece about blow out as part=
of a series of pieces I was=0Aasked to write about the clarinet and clarin=
et playing, but I have no idea=0Ahow to find it. The bottom line of that pi=
ece was that there was no reliable=0Ascience that explained the phenomenon =
or even confirmed its existence. Some=0Abelieve that it was simply the impr=
ovement of the player's ability, which,=0Ain turn, allowed him/her to be mo=
re sensitive to problems that had been=0Athere all the time. Another view w=
as that instrument manufacturers=0Acontinually assert the existence of the =
problem because it leads to greater=0Asales. It is a variation of the view =
that the government keeps in a=0Afrightened state to serve their political =
ends.=0A=0AThe belief in blow out as a genuine phenomenon varies from instr=
ument to=0Ainstrument. Oboists seem to be more concerned about it than any =
other=0Ainstrumentalist. There is said to be one oboist in Los Angeles who =
changes=0Ahis instrument every year. I know of no case of a contrabassoon e=
ver being=0Asaid to be blown out.=0A=0AYou might take a look at the KLARINE=
T list and do a search on the subject.=0AYou will find a lot of opinion, an=
d very little hard science.=0A=0ADan Leeson=0Adnleeson@-----.net=0ASKYP=
E: dnleeson=0A=0A=0A-------------------------------------------------------=
arinet-digest-unsubscribe@-----.=0AFor a list =
ner@-----.org

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