The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Clamp that sucker down!

Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-02-28 00:53

"Would anyone really want to go out on a diving board that is not clamped down securely? "

Physics does not, for lack of a better word Larry, care. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, it's formula for calculating the effects of force on a object have no coefficient for fear/risk/stupidity.

"I'm not sure that the analogy of a diving board being secured the same as a reed is valid. We do not use ligatures at the very end of the reed, and I never, ever jump up and down on my reeds."

I'll take you a step futher. I'm the first to admit the analogy has its flaws, but your arguments about attachment of the base are not where such flaws lie.

Both the diving board and reed are held down at its base; the fomer by bolts, and the latter by the proximity of the ligature and its 2 or more attachment points with positive pressure against the reed. Like the ligature on a reed, the diving board is not only held down at its base, but by a series of bolts that run the length of the base, and like the reed, secure it close to the point of vibration.

Your comparison of ways that force is applied to the reed and diving board is somewhat better, the former by somewhat constant air pressure that tests elasticity, and the latter by shock that more tests, as the engineer's would say, its strength "in sheer"/point of failure. Nevertheless, both again are affected in part by the design and strength of the attachment point. The "loose lig ruins the gig," and the looser diving board is less apt to break from someone bouncing on it, all else equal, as part of that shock energy can be transferred to its wiggly base.

"I just use my ears to determine what sounds best and experiment. If there were a single best solution we would all play the same reeds, mouthpiece, and ligature in exactly the same place."

Ok..so your methods are more anecdotal than science. Me too. Hence the desire to explain this with science.

Nobody is suggesting that there is one best solution. I'll go so far as to say that there isn't. What's of interest is the affect attachment points and their strength (and perhaps ligature materials) have on reed vibration, all else equal. How we respond to that vibration, and whether maximum vibration is best, I suspect will always remain within the opinion of the player.

Karl gets it. He suggests testing things that can be measured as a function of ligature attachment points and their strength rather than the grey areas of user perception.

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics

Author

Date

Clamp that sucker down! new

WhitePlainsDave

2015-02-27 20:32