 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: NTSOG
Date: 2017-03-24 05:05
Hi Folks,
I read the many responses about R13s in another posting and was interested as I have a number of different clarinets: Selmer and Buffet [several of the R13 family]. For various reasons - not playing for about four years due to hand surgery and an enthusiastic dentist grinding one of my chipped front teeth - I am having to sort through different mouthpieces and develop a new embouchure. I know that different mouthpieces with different configurations blow harder or easier. In a sense that can be tested subjectively by me, but is there any objective way of testing resistance of a standard rate/volume of air flow down through the body of an instrument?
Jim
Australia
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2017-03-24 05:15
I suspect flat no amount of measuring airflow resistance would actually realistically represent the "acoustic" resistance that one encounters in a clarinet.
As an academic exercise it could be interesting but when push comes to shove as they say it's basically still "how does it feel to you" when you play on it.
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Author: TomS
Date: 2017-03-24 05:23
I suspect that closing all the tone holes and with a constant pressure forcing air down the bore of the clarinet and measuring the amount of air flow might be some meaningful data, but I don't think it tells at all how the clarinet plays or the subjective resistance each player experiences.
In addition, this varies with horn to horn (same model) and my subjective impression day to day changes. One day I'll swear my Ridenour clarinet has a little less resistance than my Yamaha, the the next day it reverses.
I'm about to add a R13 to my mix ... that will be interesting to compare ... but I know I may still have subjective fluctuations.
Tom
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Author: NTSOG
Date: 2017-03-24 13:26
Hi Tom and Caroline,
It makes sense that any objective measure of resistance to air flow [if a standard form of measurement could be developed] might not relate to the musical performance or perceived performance/output of a given instrument.
As you say Tom, from day-to-day different instruments seem to blow differently depending on all sorts of factors including fatigue, mild head colds and other distractions. It's all a bit of a mystery at times! At least the clarinet is not possessed by the devil like the flute which I am learning to play!
Thank you,
Jim
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2017-03-24 14:14
Air pressure inside the mouth might provide a better or at any rate complimentary measure of resistance.
Having said that I, think there's probably more to what we perceive as resistance than pressure and/or airflow. Acoustic impedances are most likely involved too.
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Author: Mojo
Date: 2017-03-24 16:55
I think it is about how much effort the player uses to get out the sound they want. Effort involves air pressure but can also be embouchure comfort too. Sound includes volume but also tone quality, dynamics and other aspects of playing. Different days you may have different sound goals.
MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-03-24 17:02
I understand that Ed Pillinger actually constructed more or less an artificial clarinet player, I think in connection with his dissertation, including an embouchure, mouth cavity, and so on. Apparently, it comes reasonably close to the real thing, and allowed him to draw conclusions about what kinds of changes do and don't affect the sound. His mouthpieces are quite good, anyway, so it's probably helped him with that. That's the kind of thing it would take to objectively measure resistance and evaluate the influence of instrument, mouthpiece, reed, and player, but it seems like it could be done.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2017-03-25 01:08
Air pressure in the mouth can be easily measured while playing using a sensitive meter connected by a hose and a plastic straw into the corner of the mouth. I made such a tool many years ago and measured air pressure during playing of the the clarinet, flute, saxophone, and oboe. It was interesting, but I've not done it lately.
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