Klarinet Archive - Posting 000007.txt from 2008/04

From: "Daniel Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Wandering 12ths
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:55:28 -0400

Karl, I cannot make any significant contribution to this discussion about
your clarinet, but I did want to comment that the problem about which you
speak, wandering tweltfths, is the exact problem that plagued clarinet
manufacture in the last half of the 18th century. Specifically, the
clarinet of that period remained primitive because adding additional keys
and holes to improve its ability to play in more than two keys (C and F)
proved problematic for an instrument of essentially cylindrical bore. By
adding a new hole, the problem was to get that hole to provide a note that
was in tune in both registers, and that was, apparently, very hard to do.

Oboes did not have the problem and one could add a hole in an instrument of
conical bore with assurance that the intonation would be fine in both
resiters, an octave apart in oboes, vs. a 12th apart in clarinets. That
problem plagues us still as demonstrated by your specific case.

What this may indicate is that your instrument is following the laws of
physics of 18th century clarinets, and the 12ths are going to be difficult
to fix.

Wish I could say more.

Dan Leeson

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

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