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Reconciling Tuning Rings & Adjustable Barrels

Author: SecondTry
Date: 2021-04-18 02:16

Say I'm playing sharp. I might be inclined to pull my barrel away from my upper (left hand) joint a bit--perhaps lengthening the clarinet at the top and bottom joints as well.

At least at the barrel, in so doing, by the same amount I've separated the bottom of the barrel from the upper joint, I've created a length of the air column, inside the clarinet bore, that is slightly wider in diameter...in fact wider by the difference between the diameter of the inner wall of the bottom of the barrel, and the diameter of the inner wall of the upper joint.

Some subscribe to the ideal that it's best not to have this abrupt change in the air column size, even for its short length, and take up the space with tuning rings whose inner diameter better replicates the diameter in the middle section of the barrel's length: which is similar to that of the bore of the top joint and mouthpiece.

Now, this isn't to say that clarinets have the same bore size for their length, witness the conical bore, just not abrupt bore size changes.

But what I don't get is that it would seem this same gap created by separating the bottom of the barrel from the upper joint, where the air column experiences sections of abrupt changes in diameter, is just as much created in adjustable barrels extended beyond their shortest length, given the telescoping nature of the two pieces of such barrels.

Maybe all of this is wrong. But if not, it would seem that tuning ring purists would thumb their nose at adjustable barrels and rather stock several different size fixed length barrels, while those playing adjustable barrels would laugh at the so called benefit of tuning rings.

Is this correct? How is this seeming discrepancy between the those that say there is a need for players to use tuning rings in such lengthening of the air column by some players, resolved in adjustable barrel creation that seems to have such abrupt changes in the air column's size when lengthened, otherwise unresolved with tuning rings?

I can try to draw pictures if this narrative is confusing.

Thanks.

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