 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Funfly
Date: 2014-04-04 16:05
I know that the sound of a brass instrument can be changed, and often has been, by the use of mute.
I realise that all the air from these instruments exits via the bell in which a mute is placed.
Has anyone over the years ever placed a device in the bell of a clarinet, or indeed any woodwind instrument in order to change the sound?
The answer 'why would you want to' is 'why would a trumpet player want to'. I just wondered if there has ever been modifications made to a clarinet in order to produce a different sort of sound, especially in jazz.
Mart
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Author: kilo
Date: 2014-04-04 16:27
Unlike a trumpet, the perceived sound of a clarinet isn't just the tone which emanates from the bell — a certain amount of sound comes from the open tone holes. So you can't really alter the sound that much by putting a cone in the bell. The most successful alterations to clarinet timbre take place at the other end using the player's oral cavity, larynx, and mouthpiece setup.
EDIT: I've seen mutes for saxophones — a cloth "doughnut" that sits in the bell and may or may not reduce some of the partials. I haven't noticed a significant reduction of sound from these. And I've seen nylon mesh, similar to a ScotchBrite pad, rolled into cylinders and placed in the neck and upper body of the sax which is supposed to reduce the sound level as well. Haven't seen these in action but something like that might work in the barrel of a clarinet. This is aimed at reducing the noise level, however, not altering the tone the way a trumpet mute does.
Post Edited (2014-04-04 12:33)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2014-04-04 16:44
It seems to me I've occasionally heard of mutes for clarinets, but they were applied farther up the bore, maybe in the barrel. I also think I've heard of "subtone" mutes for saxes that somehow fit across the bottom of the reed. I haven't ever used anything like these personally.
It seems to me intuitively that if all you want to do is lower the volume level of a reed instrument, putting something against the reed to damp its vibration would do it (although I've tested lots of reeds that did this with no mechanical damping at all - I normally toss them). If you want to alter the sound, as a brass mute does, you'd have to put the device high in the bore, with lots of unintended consequences for intonation resulting.
Jazz players take a different approach by putting the alteration in the electronic system that amplifies their sound. Digital signal processors can make an instrument sound growly or airy or any other way the player can think of. At the same time, they can fix intonation and add echo. Who needs a mute?
Karl
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2014-04-04 13:07
We oboists sometimes slide cloth bags over our bells to mute our lower register. It really has no effect on the upper register though. There are some more extensive (and expensive) options as well, some that go inside the bell with vents in it, and all manner of things. With conical bore instruments, the lower end tends to be louder, and I think the saxophone mute is using the same concept.
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-04-04 17:57
I've made myself an oboe mute from a wine cork with a shoelace threaded through it to form a loop on one end so it can be removed easily from the bell - it's excellent for sweetening the low notes when playing quietly, but you do lose the low Bb when the mute is jammed in.
As for sax mutes, there's the Japanese Best Brass e-Sax whisper mute (and also Chinese knock-offs) which is a plastic case which fully encloses the sax body but leaving the end of the crook sticking out the top end so it can be played effectively as a practice mute. There are holes in both sides for each hand to fit through and these have neoprene seals to keep the sound contained within the mute. They are excellent for playing at full volume without disturbing anyone if you live in a flat or shared house - I use one while watching telly and I can still hear the telly even though I'm playing at full tilt. They have an electronic pick-up with a built in metronome and various reverb settings so you can plug headphones into it to hear what you actually sound like as well as an input for a CD or mp3 player/iPhone etc. so you can play along to whatever you're listening to. I'm still waiting for a clarinet or oboe version.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-04-04 14:40
You could have a sliding baffle in the mouthpiece like the Zinner Adjustatone sax mouthpiece.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2014-04-04 19:13
There's something in Rice's classical clarinet book about playing the instrument inside a leather bag. I think Berlioz specified this for something.
Also, I seem to remember once seeing a picture of Buddy de Franco promoting what looked like a cardboard box with holes for your arms. I think it was marketed for quiet practicing rather than a performance effect.
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Author: Funfly
Date: 2014-04-04 20:07
Looking at some previous posts as suggested by Ken was interesting.
I must add to an observation about playing the clarinet on the street (mentioned in some posts)
In Nantwich, which is in Cheshire, England, we have a man who regularly plays the clarinet in the town square with an open case in front of him for people to donate - usual stuff.
What is unusual is that he has no mouthpiece on his clarinet, he sits there pretending to play with a little speaker playing various clarinet pieces by his side, I don't even think the music he plays is his but his clarinet music fills the air in the square!
He's been there for quite a few years. Were a funny lot here in Cheshire ;-)
Mart
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-04-04 20:14
Many sax players (Stan Getz for one, RIP) throw a hanky into the bell of their horns to take the edge off.
b>
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-04-04 21:05
And some alto saxes benefit from having a wine cork or mouthpiece cap dropped into the bell to stabilise the low notes below low D.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: alto gether
Date: 2014-04-04 23:51
One of the things you can do is stick something vaguely funnel-shaped into the bell to make the lowest note a semitone or two lower. The kind of stand that fits the bell works for this.
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-04-04 20:50
Quote:
"Author: Chris P (---.dynamic.dsl.as9105.com - (Tiscali UK Limited) Brighton, B6 United Kingdom)
Date: 2014-04-04 21:05
And some alto saxes benefit from having a wine cork or mouthpiece cap dropped into the bell to stabilise the low notes below low D.
Chris."
And tenors as well, especially Selmers, which have the largest volume bell that the law allows in order to get that Selmer "growl". The mpc cap actually reduces the interior volume just enough to stop the burbling.
Post Edited (2014-04-05 03:51)
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