 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sinkdraiN
Date: 2006-11-16 15:29
What pitch are the major brands of clarinets tuned to?
Is my LL pitched differently than an R13?
I wonder because there is no way I could play A442 on my setup. Would I need a different instrument? Wouldn't messing around with barrels mess with the overall tuning of the instrument since it's a cylinder?
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-11-16 16:29
Buffets are available in both A440 and A442 pitches. The 442's serial numbers are prefaced by and "F" (for French pitch --maybe).
Some say that the only between the two is the barrel, but my single exposure to an F serial numbered instrument doesn't make that allegation clear to me. It is not clear (form my one sample) that lowering a 442 Buffet to 440 doesn't cause an imbalance of the scale across the instrument.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Avie
Date: 2006-11-16 18:09
sinkdraiN:
I dont know what your background and experience is but I would start experimenting with a tuner, and with differant setups on both your LL and R13. You should be able to bring either instrument close to A440 or A442. Everyone has to adapt to differant pitches in various situations. In a lot of cases its possible to alter the pitch on a clarinet with differant setups such as, mp, brl, reed, ligature, pulling in and out, etc. You will also be developing a good ear and will not need the tuner as much.
R13's were tuned to A440 during mfg. Im not familiar enough with the LL to know what pitch it was mfgr'd to, but you will be able to tell while watching your tuner. I think we have some LL players on the BB. that wold be more familiar with the LL.
From what I have read, the pitch can be differant in most other areas that play various types of music, and for instance in the U.S. it is usually A440 or A442 and in Europe A442-A444. All clarinets vary enough to also concentrate on tone and intonation along with pitch.
No, I dont think that messing around with barrels will mess up the overall tuning of the instrument in any way. Tone and intonation is probably just as important as pitch unless you have to be in tune with others, then you should be playing in the same pitch. Some pro's like to diviate slightly from the pitch, for instance to add excitement to the piece and still make it sound right.
Other posters may be able to enlighten you more on the technical aspects of pitch and tunning. I hope this will help. There are numerous older topics and posts that explore the very controversial subject of pitch and tunning.
The above comments are the opinions of a partially self taught returner to the clarinet after a 30 year layoff and is open for any comments, corrections and/or constructive criticisms on the controversial subject of pitch.
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