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Re: Arioso versus Allora

Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-07-31 21:31

When can we get back to the materials issue rather than execution of the clarinet? An excellent design and finish work will produce a top rate and fine playing instrument regardless of the material of the body - IMHO. Unless the experiment is conducted with the same design and finish work in different materials it does not address the question of material. Comparing different manufacturer’s clarinets, even in different materials, is not a valid comparison technique.

Inevitably there will be instrument to instrument variability even among the same model - regardless of the material - and possibly of differences in the machining and finishing qualities of the material used. In statistics there are techniques called "Power" calculations which estimate the sample size, given the number of dependent and independent variables in the sample set, needed to reach statistical certainty that the null hypothesis (that there is no difference between groups) is not true. There are different levels of confidence around this estimate - 0.1, 0.01, 0.001 etc.. which enter into the prediction of the sample size needed. Just given the number of variables that I can quickly name off the top of my head the sample size raises to hundreds of instruments in each material needed for a 0.1 confidence level.

Myself, and only me, will have to see data from an experiment designed to test the contribution of material of the body of a given clarinet to some objective or at least standardized set of criteria related to tone and playability. I do not doubt the observations of experts and talented players but must filter and mentally tabulate these with those of others until I can feel confident of a consensus (even this is not a scientific approach). This is my approach as a scientist and not necessarily the approach which is comfortable for others.
L. Omar Henderson

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Arioso versus Allora new

Musinix

2006-07-29 17:36