Re: Music Glossary - 1.64 Concert Pitch (2.12.2)

[Anthony W. Youngman]

In message <address@hidden>, Paul Scott 
<address@hidden> writes
> > 1.311 transposing instrument
> >
> > Instruments whose notated pitch is different from concert pitch. Most 
> > of these instruments are identified in their name by their fundamental 
> > pitch - this being the note whose wavelength is equal to length of the 
> > instrument. 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.)
>
> We could probably get to the truth from here but this is not correct as 
> stated.  My A clarinet is not 78cm long.  It is significantly shorter. 
> I don't know if this is more accurate for a brass instrument.  It could 
> be.  I guess you would be talking about a trombone in 1st position or a 
> valved instrument with the valves not depressed.  For an A clarinet a 
> low C (sounding concert A 220Hz) you would be fingering a note which 
> only used about 1/2 the length of the instrument.  For a C above that 
> (sounding A 440Hz.) you would be using most of the length of the 
> instrument but this is the 2nd harmonic of a cylindrical bore which is 
> probably not a reasonable place to apply your description.

It would be nice to have a "simple but accurate" description of the 
fundamental of a woodwind instrument. I've obviously made a mistake in 
thinking it's similar to a brass instrument. My trombone is about 11ft 
mouthpiece-to-bell and the fundamental is Bb next to A=110, so that 
makes sense - 11ft ~ 4x78cm.

Is there any chance you could give me that description?
> > This note is always written as middle C in the treble clef, and is 
> > usually referred to as "being in 'X'" where X is the fundamental of 
> > the instrument it's written for.
>
> As mentioned above this not the fundamental for a woodwind even if it 
> is for a brass instrument.  The most common fingering for a woodwind is 
> the six finger note which is D (in the upper register for clarinets or 
> G for a bassoon).  From there we get to a C by either adding one finger 
> or by removing most of the fingers.  Neither using either the tube with 
> no fingers down or all fingers down is really equivalent to a brass 
> instrument for the purposes of this discussion.  From one point of view 
> you would call a bassoon an F instrument, a normal clarinet (Bf) an Eb 
> instrument (equivalent to an F recorder).

I'd love to have the description completely accurate. I'll alter my bit 
to say "for a brass instrument the fundamental is etc etc etc". Seeing 
as you understand woodwind, would you do the same for the woodwind side?

Cheers,
Wol
--
Anthony W. Youngman - address@hidden