 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mick Wilson
Date: 2024-08-06 14:30
I have a Boosey and Hawkes 1010 Bb clarinet circa 1039. It has L.P etched on it.
I think this means Low Pitch, but don't understand why an instrument would be pitched differently to others.
Can someone please explain?
Thanks in advance, Mick Wilson.
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Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2024-08-06 15:05
Here's an article about low & high pitch: https://www.robbstewart.com/high-pitch-and-low-pitch. Low pitch: A=440 Hz. High pitch: A=452 Hz. At the same time, many western European countries were using A=435 Hz. And your harpsichord may have been tuned to A=415 Hz. Even today, there is a battle between A=440 Hz and A=442 Hz. That's why my Buffet Festival clarinet comes with 2 different barrel lengths. It's complicated.
If I were Music Czar, I would tune to C=256 Hz, which works well in today's digital age, and all instruments would either be in the key of C or the key of F.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
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Author: Mick Wilson
Date: 2024-08-06 15:46
Thanks Michael,
I have long been an advocate of all instruments being in the key C.
Haven't yet been bold enough to buy a C Clarinet.
Maybe I should, though I am only an enthusiastic amateur.
Been plugging away for 34 years now.
Mick Wilson
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-08-06 16:10
Back when your 1010 was made, B&H made clarinets (and other woodwinds and brass instruments) in both LP (439-440hz) and HP (452Hz) so they were marked accordingly. LP was used for orchestral and HP used for military bands.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mick Wilson
Date: 2024-08-06 16:46
Hello Chris,
Thanks for the info.
Very understandable for me, though I still don't know why they had to be different.
Everybody the same makes sense to me, hence my belief that all instruments should be pitched in the key of C.
Mick
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Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2024-08-06 20:20
For the clarinet family, which overblows in 12ths, having all clarinets in the key of C would be doable, providing the clarinets all have the extension to written low C, and the appropriate number of register keys so that they have a 4 octave range. For other instruments, that would leave a large gap. As an example, you would have a C soprano, a C tenor, and a C bass sax. You really need to add the F alto and the F baritone in between.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
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Author: lydian
Date: 2024-08-06 22:02
If you believe all instruments should be in C, why not take the next step and say all songs should be in the key of C.
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Author: lydian
Date: 2024-08-07 17:01
Love that. Here’s another example.
https://youtu.be/BdvWxf2TQTU
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Author: graham
Date: 2024-08-07 19:57
Pitch periodically goes through inflation increases which appear to have been to create a pleasant brightness in the sound. Then the currency has to be reissued, so to speak. In Britain, Henry Wood undertook this task in the 1890s, thereby reducing vocal range strain. But as the effect might have been to render all current instruments defective, manufacturers continued to offer some HP instruments. That said, it may have been that using LP markings was more for reassurance by 1930. My Hawkes instruments from circa 1900 -1912 have no such markings. My simple system B&H does have it however.
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Author: smokindok
Date: 2024-08-09 07:14
lydian wrote:
> Love that. Here’s another example.
> https://youtu.be/BdvWxf2TQTU
Oh my, my, my, lydian. How am I ever going to unhear that.
Horrible... and hilarious, LOL.
John
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