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RE: check the 12ths?????

Author: mike cowan
Date: 2001-11-06 16:40

The middle register notes (for the same fingering) are twelve tones above the same note in the low register.

A twelve tone interval is the third harmonic of the fundamental.

The clarinet produces (essentially) only the odd harmonics.

Problem: the thrid "harmonic" is only approximate. One reason is that the bottom open hole, or vent hole looks bigger to a high frequency wave, than it does to a low frequency wave. Therefore all twelfths except B-F# on any clarinet are minutely out of tune on any instrument. Some more than others. The R-13 trade off was in favor of a mellow tone in a large, powerful bore at the expense of a few interval twelfths.

Since the tuning correction depends on hundredths of a millimeter bore variations, each instrument is tweaked by hand and differs from its neighbors on the production line.

Even an advanced player would have difficulty establishing the acoustic signature of an instrument because there are so many variables, including the mouth involved.

The best advice I can recommend is to have a highly esteemed clarinetist to test various R-13's and help you pick the best. If you aready have an R-13, ask such a player to analyze the acoutic signature of your instrument and advise you how to shade each note.

In reality R-13s are wonderful instruments to play and there is a universe of things to perfect before one is qualifed to analyze third harmonic performance. Just practice and strive for a good tone and enjoy the instrument.

If you would like to learn more, I suggest "Clarinet Acoustics" by O Lee Gibson. ( IBSN 0-253-21172-7) It is inexpensive and tells you more than you want to know about Selmer vs. Buffet clarinets in understandable language.

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