 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Brian
Date: 2002-09-03 00:41
Hello Everyone!
Here is another of those questions that my sometimes weird little mind asks..
I know that bore size affects the way a clarinet sounds...the timbre of the instrument if you will. But does it affect pitch?
For example I know that Pete Fountain plays large bore Leblancs. This affects the way his instruments sound to a certain degree ( I also know it is affected by other things such as his reed/mouthpiece combination ) but does it affect his ability to play in tune? Well not in tune,exactly, but does a large bore clarinet play sharper or flatter than a clarinet with a smaller bore and vice versa? Know what I'm getting at?
I would love to hear ideas on this!
Happy Clarineting!
Peace!
Brian
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-09-03 04:04
To put it simply, for a given pitch, a larger bore requires a longer Clarinet. A smaller bore Clarinet will be shorter. A 27 mm difference was found between the shortest and longest Bb clarinets I've measured, which indicates that they must have had different bores. (Someday I'll find my calipers and start doing bore measurements, too.)
This is why the distance between the lowest tone hole and the bottom of the bell on a Clarinet is far greater than the distance between any adjacent "higher-up" tone holes. The bell flares out so much, with greatly expanded diameter at the bottom, that a greater length is required. So, here is a common pitch from me: a straighter section instead of a bell at the bottom would be shorter, lighter, and less expensive to produce. It would also sound better on the lowest notes of the Clarion and Chalumeau registers.
Regards,
John
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-09-03 05:45
Brian -
Mark is absolutely correct. For any [reasonable] length cylindrical tube (a few inches), the larger the bore, the higher the pitch
If you're ambitious and have nothing better to do with your time at some moment you can prove this with a rolled paper tube fitted to your mouthpiece. Printer paper and paper clips do pretty well.
- ron b -
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-09-04 18:24
Steve Fox makes French bore clarinets that have a conical expansion beginning about halfway down the lower joint, the same as Buffet. He also makes a German bore clarinet that's identical except for a cylindrical lower joint. He says he prefers the German bore, and it is indeed smoother and with better matched note-to-note color. Nevertheless, I thought it was a bit dull sounding and more resistant than I liked. I could probably get used to it, but I'm used to my R-13 and have no reason to change.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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