 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ruben
Date: 2021-12-29 17:17
Selmer's new model: la Muse, has a raised C/G (above the staff) tone-hole. What could be the purpose of this? Would this lower the pitch on the C sharp/G-sharp, which tends to be too high? Something to muse over...
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: EricBlack
Date: 2021-12-29 20:04
I tried a Muse a little over a week ago and I don't believe it had a raised C/G tone hole (third finger on left hand, just to be clear?). It did have a raised C#/G# however.
Were you thinking of the new Buffet BCXXI which does prominently feature a raised third finger tone hole? They talk about the improved ergonomics of that design a lot in their marketing materials.
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Author: ebonite
Date: 2021-12-29 20:50
one reason for a raised tone hole might be to reduce the spread of the 12th. The depth of the tone hole chimney has an effect on tuning.
The deeper the chimney, the flatter the note will be overall. But the flattening effect should be greater for the clarion register than for the low register (at least in theory). That would mean that a deeper tone hole chimney should result in a narrower 12th compared with a shallower one. If this is done on the tone hole of the 3rd finger left hand, then it would affect the clarion A and low register D, reducing the D/A twelfth.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2021-12-29 20:58
Eric; maybe I was misinformed. In fact, I probably was. A raised C-sharp/ G-sharp could be to bring down the pitch or possibly to keep water out of a place where it often wells up. By the way, how did you like la Muse?
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: EricBlack
Date: 2021-12-29 22:13
So many new models have come out in the last few months, (Uebel, Selmer, Buffet,) that it can be hard to keep track of who is doing what! To be honest I am still collecting my thoughts on the new Muse. I hesitate to say too much until I have solidified my thoughts and listened more to the recordings I made while trying it out. With my initial listens I do think it has it's own sound and place in the Selmer lineup. I don't think this is a small thing, as the more models a company creates the higher the chance becomes that another of the already established models begins to lose some of its individual identity. But I think that is all I should say for now. My goal is to have a video out next week with some more thoughts and a recording sample!
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Author: ruben
Date: 2021-12-30 00:39
Thank you, Eric. I suspect Selmer copied an existing clarinet made by a local craftsman (Paris). All is fair in love and musical instrument manufacturing.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2021-12-30 01:30
At least one earlier model of Selmer clarinets, the Signature, already has some raised tone holes, so maybe they just copied themselves.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-12-30 03:28
If you mean the LH3 tonehole chimney, then it's the D/A tonehole as the notes D/A issue directly from it, not the C/G tonehole as the C/G tonehole is on the lower joint.
It's hardly a new thing as clarinets with the LH forked Eb/Bb mechanism have a raised tonehole chimney for LH3 (and larger diameter D/A tonehole as a result) and Yamaha have also been fitting it to some of their more recent clarinets.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2021-12-30 03:33)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2021-12-30 06:17
If you really meant the C/G tone hole i.e. top tone hole on the lower section, I couldn't find a photo that shows it clearly.
If you meant the D/A tone hole i.e. tone hole under the third finger of the left hand, the photos of the Muse show a regular tone hole there.
The Signature has a slightly raised tone hole there (and others too, maybe even all of them). I don't remember when they started making it but it was 80s or 90s, and I guess it always had the raised tone holes but not sure.
The Muse release photos show a raised C#/G# tone hole if that's what you meant. Other Selmer models have that too (e.g. Privilege).
If they copied anyone with this feature specifically it was probably about 30 years ago.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-12-30 23:18
Raised C#/G# toneholes also aren't a new feature on clarinets as they're mostly found on German/Oehler systems to lengthen the tonehole to give more substance to the C#/G# and then found their way onto Boehm systems. B&H used to fit a C#/G# tonehole chimney on their later 1010s which intruded into the bore and more recently, some Buffet A clarinets have them fitted as well as Selmer Privileges.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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