Klarinet Archive - Posting 000302.txt from 2010/09

From: David McClune <dmcclune@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] TUNING-Clem Hutchinson
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 12:24:04 -0400

Consider this...
1. Oboes make their own reeds and each one is at a slightly different pitch level. The reed must be all the way in the oboe for their octaves to be in tune and they really cannot pull out if too sharp. The pressure is on them to make reeds that ARE in tune. Historically the oboe player gave the tuning pitch as they were the least flexible.
2. Tuning forks were used for the past 100-150 years to provide a neutral tuning pitch level and the oboist would put the fork in their ear and play the tuning A (clarinet player could not do that!)
3. In bands there are always clarinet players and rarely oboists and even then I would not want a secondary band tuning to the oboe player as they are often weak players (sad but true).
4. Tuning to the tuba, trumpet, clarinet, oboe does not matter IF that player is playing the tuning note, whatever is agreed upon...at a specified pitch level. A=440, A=442, etc.
5. Electronic tuning devices are both good and evil. Having a standard tuning level is fine, but playing actually in tune is done on the fly by ear.
6. I teach my students to pretend that the player next to they does not hear that they are sharp (or flat) and the student must try to go sharp to help the other player. In the mean time that other player hears that the other is flat and they strive to lower the pitch to get closer. Everyone meets in the middle.
7. In other words teaching students (ourselves) to stay humble and play flexibly to be in tune with the others and NOT sit there in an egotistical manner and think that "they" are perfectly in tune and refuse to compromise.

Can you tell I am avoiding practicing! TGIF.

Dave

Dr. David McClune
University Professor of Music
Union University-1862
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305

731-661-5294
dmcclune@-----.edu

www.mcclunemouthpiece.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Kent Krive [mailto:k.krive@-----.com]
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 10:43 AM
To: The Klarinet Mailing List
Subject: Re: [kl] TUNING-Clem Hutchinson

Perhaps the most compelling reason for a band to tune to the clarinet is the
fact that, for every note in the range, the pitch it produces is near the
top of the available pitch range. All other wind instruments utilize, more
or less, the middle of their potential pitch range. If the band were to tune
to the trumpet, for instance, and the trumpet wanted to tune to A=444Mhz,
most clarinets would be hopelessly flat in pitch. In other words, any given
clarinet can always tune lower, but, if "pushed" all the way in, cannot
raise the pitch appreciably without deleterious effects on timbre; or
without carrying a passel of barrels around...

Kent

----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Gentry" <peter.gentry@-----.uk>
To: "'The Klarinet Mailing List'" <klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 11:32 AM
Subject: Re: [kl] TUNING-Clem Hutchinson

> There is no single wave form produced by a clarinet and some notes can be
> very close to a pure sine wave.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DGross1226@-----.com]
> Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 1:52 AM
> To: klarinet@-----.com
> Subject: Re: [kl] TUNING-Clem Hutchinson
>
> In a message dated 9/9/2010 5:26:08 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Jennifer
> Jones <helen.jennifer@-----.comwrites:
>
>
> (someone once told me > that the clarinet comes closest to producing a
> pure
>> sine wave...
>
> Actually, Jennifer, it's a square wave.
>
> Don
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