Re: Music Glossary - 1.64 Concert Pitch (2.12.2)

[Anthony W. Youngman]

In message <address@hidden>, 
Neil Puttock <address@hidden> writes
> 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).

Ummm ... I think I might be getting physics fundamentals confused with 
musical fundamentals. But I'm COMPLETELY puzzled at your statement that 
the wavelength of the fundamental is FOUR times the length. I would 
guess the trombone is also "a cylindrical tube stopped at one end", and 
the wavelength of any note played must be an integral number of 
half-wavelengths. So we have 1/2-wavelength giving me a pedal Bb, 2/2 
giving me the fundamental Bb, and 3/2 giving me an F.

I don't see how the physics would work to give you a quarter-wavelength 
as you claim.
> Concert A would be either the first (B flat clarinet) or second (A
> clarinet) overblown note, i.e., third harmonic of  E or F.

Mmmm... I think that explains a lot. Most notes played by brass 
instruments are "overblown" in the wind sense - do most wind instruments 
mostly not overblow?
> Regards,
> Neil

Cheers,
Wol

(NB - it's my bedtime, apologies if I don't reply again to anything for 
a while :-)
--
Anthony W. Youngman - address@hidden