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Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 16:32:18 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] mail volume
>>It's been a quiet several days...
>
>In terms of e-mail at least. I honestly though it was my e-mail
>account not getting anything.
>
>SpencerI also read the doublereed list and the flute list, both of which have been *very* active (and substantially off-topic) for the last week, for understandable reasons. Rather than stir up any of those debates (and one sees pretty much the same debate, with different players, on many lists right now), I'll report a minor news item I just ran across.
Orsi, current maker of contrabass saxophones and other things of special interest, has apparently moved from the suburbs of Milan to the town of Tradate in the province of Varese (in the Lombardy region). From the map, it looks like it is about 20 miles Northwest of Milan. Their website has the full address and their new telephone and fax numbers.
Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
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---------------------------------------------------------From: SEMarcus
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 04:06:04 EDT
Subject: [CB] Length vs. PitchAs noted in a previous post, a contrabass clarinet player has joined Palatine
Concert Band. He plays a Selmer paperclip.My fellow tuba player asked:
"It appears that the CB clarinet's total tube length is only about 13 feet.
How is it able to play low concert Bb (the lowest Bb on the piano)?"Kindest regards,
Steve Marcus
BBb Bass, Prairie Brass Band
Director of Sales, THE BEAUTIFUL SOUND, INC. (630) 325-9999
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 10:33:44 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] Length vs. Pitch
>My fellow tuba player asked:
>
>"It appears that the CB clarinet's total tube length is only about 13 feet.
>How is it able to play low concert Bb (the lowest Bb on the piano)?"Less than that: more like 9', I think. The C above that (C1) is 16'
C, which is the length of organ pipe (or conical pipe) needed to
produce that pitch. Contrabassoons, contrabass sarrusophones, reed
contrabasses, contrabass saxes, and other conical bore woodwinds that
play in that register all have bores around 16' in length (plus or
minus a few feet, depending on range).The usual explanation (to a first approximation) is that when the
reed closes, it sends a pressure wave down the bore toward the bell
(or the first open hole). The sudden change of impedance at the bell
(or first open hole) causes the wave to reflect back toward the reed.
When the pressure wave reaches the reed, it pops it open, letting the
next puff of air through (and slamming the reed closed for the next
cycle). The time it takes the pressure wave to travel from
mouthpiece to bell (or first open hole) and back is one cycle, and
determines the frequency of the pitch produced. For some reason
(which escapes me at the moment), in instruments having a cylindrical
bore closed at one end (the reed end, usually), the wave is reflected
back from the bell 180 degrees out of phase, and thus does not open
the reed on its first trip back. When it hits the reed, it is again
reflected toward the bell, and makes the trip a second time,
whereupon it is reflected another 180 degrees out of phase (putting
it back in phase) to complete the cycle. Thus, the wave takes two
trips through the bore for each cycle: since it takes twice as long,
the frequency is half that of a conical bore of the same length.
Thus, the contrabass clarinet has the range of a contrabassoon (which
has twice the bore length), the bass clarinet has about the range of
a bassoon (which has about twice the bore length), and the soprano
clarinet starts about an octave below the soprano sax, flute and oboe
(which have about the same bore length).Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
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---------------------------------------------------------From: "Dr. Daniel W. Kunz"
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 13:37:01 -0400
Subject: [CB] an unrelated questionan unrelated question -- i noticed that the Eb wood contra on ebay assembled
from a number of pieces. does the wood BBb contra base wood brand clarinet
also dissassemble like this? thanks. dan.
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Ulrich Drechsler"
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 20:32:28 +0200
Subject: Re: [CB] an unrelated questionHi Daniel,
I also noticed this. My Selmer rosewood BBb contrabass is assembled from two
pieces (or three if you want to count the adjustable part of the neck as one
piece).
It's always an adventure to stick the two pieces together in cause of the
several keywork connections between the parts.Uli
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 11:54:59 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] an unrelated question
>I also noticed this. My Selmer rosewood BBb contrabass is assembled from two
>pieces (or three if you want to count the adjustable part of the neck as one
>piece).I usually check the description of the case. If the instrument
disassembles into upper and lower barrel segments, it usually comes
in a "5 piece" case. I assume the 5 pieces are bell, lower barrel,
upper barrel, neck, and mouthpiece, just as on a soprano clarinet.
The alternative (for contras, anyway) seems to be the "1 section"
case, where the body is left assembled (although the bell, neck, and
mouthpiece apparently aren't counted). I checked my usual sources
for information, but unfortunately none of them mentioned the case
style for the Selmer 41.Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------From: "Spencer Parks"
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 17:27:41 -0500
Subject: Re: [CB] mail volume>I also read the doublereed list and the flute list, both of which
>have been *very* active (and substantially off-topic) for the last
>week, for understandable reasons. Rather than stir up any of those
>debates (and one sees pretty much the same debate, with different
>players, on many lists right now), I'll report a minor news item I
>just ran across.I agree with not stirring up anything like that. We've heard it all. I'm
actually pretty surprised that nothing was said about it here. I hope you
are all doing OK. By the way, I leaving for Hawai'i in a few days to
essentially move there. Does anybody know of any interesting music places
(contrabass related would be nice)? Or does anyone live out there? I'm
going to the west side of Maui. Just thought I'd let you know.Spencer
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From: "Spencer Parks"
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 17:34:31 -0500
Subject: Re: [CB] Length vs. PitchA version of the They Might Be Giants song "Older" uses Rauschpfife and a
Saroussophone (That's how they spelled them). This is the version of the
song that is on their new album, "Mink Car" number 12. You can probably
download it somewhere too. It's got a great sound.Spencer
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