 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Peter Ulrich
Date: 2001-05-29 06:18
this may be a stupid question but I don't understand what A=440 means.
I saw someone looking for a barrel that plays A=442.
Does A=440 simply mean you are playing in tune?
If so why would you want a barrel that plays A=442.
Hope someone can help me.
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Author: Jason
Date: 2001-05-29 07:26
To answer your question:
A=440 refers to the fact that the A above middle C is standardized in western music at a pitch of 440 cycles per second. It is a benchmark, a starting point, a standard value by which many instruments are set and intonated. It was an agreed upon value at one point. In the olden days, some instruments were built to other pitches, say 442 or 435 or what have you. Nowadays, most instruments, wind and otherwise, have been closely calibrated to this value. The person looking for a 442 clarinet is kind of wasting their time because they should be able to lip the pitch up by 2 Hz, which is very small. You almost would not notice it was out of tune. If such a clarinet existed, it would be slightly shorter in overall length. What this person needs is an adjustable tuning barrel, available from WW&BW. But personally, I'd lip the pitch up.
J
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Author: kny
Date: 2001-05-29 07:51
yup, I lipped up the pitch and ended up playing at A=440 (without lipping up its even lower). Lipping to A=442 is a struggle for me, thats why I need a shorter barrel.
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Author: Gene Wie
Date: 2001-05-29 08:05
Well, the reason for having an instrument with a shorter barrel that tunes at A=442 when it is fully pushed is to allow for compensation in variations in temperature. In a playing situtation where the air temperature is very cold, having an A-442 barrel gives you the flexibility to push in and maintain pitch. Otherwise, if your instrument tunes A=440 when fully pushed in, you won't be able to keep your pitch up.
Lipping the pitch up and down may be useful for a couple notes here and there, but having to do it continually in order to maintain pitch will adversely affect your sound.
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Author: Eoin McAuley
Date: 2001-05-29 08:05
Orchestras in Europe play at a slightly higher pitch than those in America. The standard here is A=442, although some orchestras go even higher. It is obviously useful if your instrument is tuned to the correct pitch from the start rather than having to lip up all the time.
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Author: Steve Hartman
Date: 2001-05-29 12:10
Many American orchestras tune to A=442. In reality, the pitch can climb even higher depending on such things as temperature, humidity and the tendencies of trumpet and piccolo players. It's much more practical to have a setup which requires you to pull out a bit in order to tune to 440 or 442. "Lipping up" constantly is not recommended and could even be painful!
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Author: wes
Date: 2001-05-30 03:16
The standard here in Los Angeles is still 440. The Loree oboe from your local oboe market is nominally tuned to this pitch. 442 is too high for your average Loree player although a clarinet player can simply buy a shorter barrel. In Los Angeles, there is no doubt that 440 is the standard tune-up pitch and the piano in the Local 47 auditorium is kept right on 440. People may play higher when it is warm or do what they have to do to sound good but they generally start at 440. One can think of a conductor that asks for 442 as inexperienced.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-05-30 04:41
wes wrote:
>
> . One
> can think of a conductor that asks for 442 as
> inexperienced.
Oh, I don't think so. As Ken Shaw noted, the Boston Symphony tunes higher, and somehow I don't think of Ozawa as inexperienced ...
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-05-30 05:15
Remember too, that in the "real world" one might need to deliberately "detune" to match a piano or (pipe) organ that has gone out of tune due to temp or humidity changes.
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