Re: Music Glossary - 1.64 Concert Pitch (2.12.2)

[Neil Puttock]

2009/4/3 Anthony W. Youngman <address@hidden>:
> In message <address@hidden>, Anthony W. Youngman
> <address@hidden> writes
>>
>> Ow!
>>
>> Sorry, reading this was painful (I play the trombone, as many of you know
>> :-)
>
> Replying to myself ... Just in case anyone didn't realise (and I certainly
> didn't make myself clear :-) these are my revised versions that I think
> should replace the existing entries. Feel free to edit and improve.

>> For example Concert A is 440Hz, the speed of sound in air is 343m/s,
>> therefore an A clarinet (or any other A wind instrument) will have a length
>> of 343/440 = 78cm. (Or be a power of 2 longer or shorter.)

Concert A is definitely not the fundamental for an A clarinet: it's a
cylindrical tube stopped at one end, so the wavelength of the
fundamental is four times the length.  Since the lowest note on a
clarinet is usually the E below middle C unless it has an extension,
the fundamental would be C sharp (D on a B flat).

Concert A would be either the first (B flat clarinet) or second (A
clarinet) overblown note, i.e., third harmonic of  E or F.

Regards,
Neil