The Oboe BBoard
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2021-09-19 04:12
Does anyone play in an ensemble that contractually sets a minimum air temperature for outdoor rehearsals or performances? What would any of you consider too chilly to play a clarinet/oboe/bassoon outside?
Karl
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2021-09-20 18:28
Anything lower than 62F becomes difficult for fingers to operate. I have not played in a CBA ensemble with a minimum temp clause, but I have been the victim of extraordinarily bad temps.
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-09-21 19:07
Anything that's too hot or too cold for any player's own comfort is too hot or too cold.
Chris.
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2021-12-13 00:11
I have played many outdoor concerts at over 100 degrees F. With full concert band. I don't know what the woodwind players did, if they had non-wood instruments, but they all showed up. (I was a horn player in that band, and other than the slide being pulled out almost to falling out to get it down to pitch, no real problems other than bugs and sweat.)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-12-13 19:53
If there aren't any fixed pitch instruments involved, then everyone needs to tune relative to the temperature as there's no point in tuning to 440Hz regardless if it's too cold or too hot for that pitch to be attainable. That way no-one has to pull out all their slides or joints to the point of them falling out just to stick to a convention that's not practical.
IRCAM published a chart with temperature related tunings and 440Hz - I hope you can see this (should the attachment not work):
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10152393601608259&set=a.10150693718588259
Chris.
Post Edited (2021-12-13 19:55)
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2021-12-13 20:57
Chris, that link doesn't work for me, but I'm interested in the information. Is there another source for the info?
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10152393601608259&set=a.10150693718588259
Thanks,
Dane
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2021-12-14 00:32
That worked, thanks Chris.
The only problem is that the chart only goes as high as 77F/25C.
I've had to play in 85F/30C concert halls in summertime and outdoors...hard to believe that string players could crank up their strings tight enough to tune that high.
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-12-14 01:09
String players can use lighter gauge strings should they need to tune much higher than normal, or concerts should just not go ahead if the temperature isn't comfortable for anyone involved.
If anything, stringed instruments tend to go flat as the temperature goes up as the strings slacken off, whereas wind instruments are more affected by the lower density of warmer air which makes them go sharp or the higher density of colder air which makes them go flat.
Chris.
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