Acoustic Study of Clarinet Voicing Stacks

ORAL

Abstract

The clarinet functions as a stopped tube and therefore sounds the fundamental pitch, and overblows to the third and fifth harmonics. Learning to control these registers, or voicing the instrument, is an essential part of a clarinetist's education. By understanding how the clarinet couples to the overtones and whether the clarinet has an inherent ``memory'' for overtones, teachers can better instruct their students. In order to study the effects of overtones and voicing, data was collected for an advanced student just beginning to learn voicing. The duration she could maintain the sound coupled to the third partial without the benefit of the register key at the top of the tube to stabilize the sound was measured. By measuring duration and sound levels, the airflow affecting the coupling could be observed. As expected, the longer the fundamental wavelength was, the more energy it took to maintain coupling the third partial. An artificially blowing mechanism was then coupled to the clarinet to measure how a steady, unchanging stream of air affects coupling.

Authors

  • Chris Snellings

    Utah Valley University

  • William Stockwell

    Logan High School, University of Tsukuba, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Utah Valley University, University of New Mexico, Brigham Young University, Moxtek, INC, New Mexico State University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830, USA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Newcastle, University of Sydney, Brigham Young University Provo, Rice University, Perimeter Institute and University of Guelph, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France, Texas A&M University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Valencia, Spain, None, University of Texas at El Paso, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Brigham Young University - Provo, Morgan High School - Morgan, UT, Utah State University, University of Tsukaba, Chemistry Research Center, US Air Force Academy, USAFA, JILA, University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Physics, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Colorado State University, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University \& New Mexico State University,, National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, U of Utah, NMSU, Division of Engineering, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Chemical Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA, INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbrucken, Germany, Department of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, 7996, UTEP, Arizona State University, The University of Texas at El Paso, none, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Division of Engineering, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Department of Physics, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, Commerce,TX-75428, USA., INFN, Sezione di Pisa, Largo Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, Texas-75429, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas 75429, USA, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Delaware, IIT INDORE, UT AUSTIN, Idaho Accelerator Center, Brigham Young University, Physics and Astronomy, Univesidad de Guanajuato, Fermilab, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, RadiaSoft, LLC, Weber State University, University of Texas at Dallas, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA, Howard University

  • William Stockwell

    Logan High School, University of Tsukuba, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Utah Valley University, University of New Mexico, Brigham Young University, Moxtek, INC, New Mexico State University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830, USA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Newcastle, University of Sydney, Brigham Young University Provo, Rice University, Perimeter Institute and University of Guelph, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France, Texas A&M University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Valencia, Spain, None, University of Texas at El Paso, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Brigham Young University - Provo, Morgan High School - Morgan, UT, Utah State University, University of Tsukaba, Chemistry Research Center, US Air Force Academy, USAFA, JILA, University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Physics, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Colorado State University, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University \& New Mexico State University,, National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, U of Utah, NMSU, Division of Engineering, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Chemical Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA, INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbrucken, Germany, Department of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, 7996, UTEP, Arizona State University, The University of Texas at El Paso, none, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Division of Engineering, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Department of Physics, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, Commerce,TX-75428, USA., INFN, Sezione di Pisa, Largo Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, Texas-75429, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas 75429, USA, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Delaware, IIT INDORE, UT AUSTIN, Idaho Accelerator Center, Brigham Young University, Physics and Astronomy, Univesidad de Guanajuato, Fermilab, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, RadiaSoft, LLC, Weber State University, University of Texas at Dallas, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA, Howard University

  • William Stockwell

    Logan High School, University of Tsukuba, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Utah Valley University, University of New Mexico, Brigham Young University, Moxtek, INC, New Mexico State University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37830, USA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Newcastle, University of Sydney, Brigham Young University Provo, Rice University, Perimeter Institute and University of Guelph, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France, Texas A&M University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Valencia, Spain, None, University of Texas at El Paso, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Brigham Young University - Provo, Morgan High School - Morgan, UT, Utah State University, University of Tsukaba, Chemistry Research Center, US Air Force Academy, USAFA, JILA, University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Physics, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, Department of Orthopedics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Colorado State University, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University \& New Mexico State University,, National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, U of Utah, NMSU, Division of Engineering, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, Chemical Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA, INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbrucken, Germany, Department of Physics, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, 7996, UTEP, Arizona State University, The University of Texas at El Paso, none, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Division of Engineering, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Department of Physics, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, Division of Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, Commerce,TX-75428, USA., INFN, Sezione di Pisa, Largo Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy, Texas A&M University Commerce, Commerce, Texas-75429, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas 75429, USA, Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA, Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, University of Delaware, IIT INDORE, UT AUSTIN, Idaho Accelerator Center, Brigham Young University, Physics and Astronomy, Univesidad de Guanajuato, Fermilab, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, RadiaSoft, LLC, Weber State University, University of Texas at Dallas, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA, Howard University