 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-07-14 20:15
If it's any temperature other than 19°C-21°C and there aren't any fixed pitch instruments involved or any of real significance (eg. a recently tuned piano, a tuned pipe organ or a load of tuned/fixed pitch percussion instruments), then tune according to the temperature where you're playing and don't try to tune to 440Hz regardless. If you do have an electronic piano or keyboard in the mix, then retune it accordingly.
If it's hot, then tune to 442Hz or higher.
If it's cold, then tune to 438Hz or lower.
That way it means you're leaving your barrel in the same place when it's 19°C-21°C and not faffing around pulling out barrels, mouthpieces and the joints out at the middle tenon (which only causes instability with most clarinets) in a failed attempt to stick to an unobtainable 440Hz goal, plus buggering up the intonation in the process.
10°C - 433Hz
15°C - 436Hz
20°C - 440Hz
25°C - 444Hz
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2026-07-14 20:23)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2026-07-14 20:30
I guess that's why orchestra's tuned to........ well, you guys rather than the glockenspiel.
Of course I'd recommend differing to the wind instrument (in the ensemble) with the largest air volume. Since ALL would tend up or down (depending on the temperature involved) the difference wouldn't be a deal breaker but also wouldn't leave (for example) the TUBAs with no further room to pull out or push in.
Hey Chris P.
Under normal circumstances, am I correct in what I was last to believe that oboe reeds are made to a certain pitch, which is why we tune to you in the first place?
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2026-07-14 20:43
If tubas are warm, then they too will be sharp as it's down to air density with warmer air being less dense than colder air and not about thermal expansion of the metal or other body materials used in wind instruments.
The tubas we mostly see here in the UK are 4 valve compensating EEb or BBb B&H Imperial/Besson Sovereign design and most have a few inches lopped off the main branch to bring them up to pitch. In this current heatwave we're having, the tubas have all been at 442Hz or higher with the slides still in their normal places.
Some oboists are obsessive with their reeds sounding a specific note, just as some clarinet and sax players are obsessive in their mouthpiece/reed combo sounding a specific pitch. I just crow the reed to the usual undetermined multiphonic if I need to, but as I use Legere oboe and cor reeds, there's no need to crow them at all as they're ready to go.
On oboe I just play a low Bb or low D as that's the most stable note and if that's any pitch other than 440Hz, then I go with that - regardless of what one B&H 1010 player thinks when they faff around with their tuning app on their mobile. B&H 1010s may be calibrated to 440Hz at 19°-20°C, but they're not going to be 440Hz at any other temperature, plus the fact their intonation, like all clarinets, is all over the shop anyway (and it's up to the player to adjust things accordingly).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2026-07-14 20:56)
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2026-07-14 21:52
I've always had a more liberal view of playing in tune that has to do with matching the pitch of your fellow players, within reason.
But that said, if temperature independent markers for actual pitch are truly indicated, why not play an electronic recording?
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2026-07-14 23:05
The French understood this already in 1859 when they defined Diapason Normal as A=435 at 15 degrees centigrade.
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