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Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 13:25:16 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] Octocontrabass clarinet
> >First approximation: The bass clarinet is an 8' voice, the soprano a
> >4' voice, and the contrabass a 16' voice, and each has a bore length
> >approximately half the "sounding length". The octocontrabass is
> >presumably a 32' voice, with a "16'" bore.
>
>This is simply not true. The bcl is an 8' voice only in German notation. In
>French notation it is a 16' voice. The soprano is an 8' voice in any
>language. Let me repeat, since I apparently didn't get through the first
>time: the length of an instrument has nothing to do with this terminology,
>which refers *only* to the octave transposition of the notation. The cbcl
>is a 32' voice.I think we have contradictory nomenclature here. I've seen the
system you've described, but only applied to organ stops (is it used
anywhere else?). Although the original question referred to 64' C,
an octave designation that of course derives from organ pipes, I
understood Craig to be asking about the octocontrabass clarinet
rather than organ stops and registration. Not being an organist, I
think of bassoon, bass clarinet and bari sax as being "8' voices", as
they play down to the 8' C, and the contrabass clarinet and
contrabassoon as being "16' voices", as they play down to the 16' C.
This may be contradictory to organ nomenclature, but (at least in my
opinion) was better for illustrating the point.Grant
> A question: Does the Guinness Book of World Records say the
> octocontrabass goes to 64' C? Bass clarinet is a four-foot tube
> that sounds in the 8' register, contrabass is an eight-foot tube that
> sounds 16' - shouldn't the octo be a 16' tube sounding 32'?
> Additionally, 64' C would be about 8 Hz.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green
ecode:contrabass http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 17:08:17 -0500
From: Andrew Stiller
Subject: Re: [CB] Octocontrabass clarinet>> >First approximation: The bass clarinet is an 8' voice, the soprano a
>> >4' voice, and the contrabass a 16' voice, and each has a bore length
>> >approximately half the "sounding length". The octocontrabass is
>> >presumably a 32' voice, with a "16'" bore.
>>
>>This is simply not true. The bcl is an 8' voice only in German notation. In
>>French notation it is a 16' voice. The soprano is an 8' voice in any
>>language. Let me repeat, since I apparently didn't get through the first
>>time: the length of an instrument has nothing to do with this terminology,
>>which refers *only* to the octave transposition of the notation. The cbcl
>>is a 32' voice.
>
>I think we have contradictory nomenclature here. I've seen the
>system you've described, but only applied to organ stops (is it used
>anywhere else?). Although the original question referred to 64' C,
>an octave designation that of course derives from organ pipes, I
>understood Craig to be asking about the octocontrabass clarinet
>rather than organ stops and registration. Not being an organist, I
>think of bassoon, bass clarinet and bari sax as being "8' voices", as
>they play down to the 8' C, and the contrabass clarinet and
>contrabassoon as being "16' voices", as they play down to the 16' C.
>This may be contradictory to organ nomenclature, but (at least in my
>opinion) was better for illustrating the point.
>
>GrantAs far as I know, *all* uses of this terminology are derived from the organ
usage, and should follow it in meaning. At the very least there are 16' and
4' (octave up and octave down) stops on harpsichords, and 16' and 4'
consorts in Renaissance music. A 4' recorder consort, e.g., consists of
SATB or AATB or ATTB recorders, all playing an octave higher than the
notated music, while an 8' consort would consist of T B Gb Cb or B B Gb Cb
or B Gb Gb Cb recorders, all playing at notated pitch. Note that this
differs from Baroque (and modern) practice, where the A and T recorders
sound at 8' while S and B sound at 4'.The Harvard Dictionary of Music, article "Foot," seems to bear me out on
this, since it cites the piccolo as an example of a 4' instrument on the
grounds that it sounds an octave higher than written.
Andrew Stiller
Kallisti Music PressUt Sol inter planetas, Ita MUSICA inter Artes liberales in medio radiat.
--Heinrich Schuetz, 1640
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