Re: Period vs Modern instruments?

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Jerry Kohl  <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>"Dr.Matt" wrote:
>
>> In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
>> Michael Haslam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> >
>> >What is the difference between the oboe and the horn wrt subtle
>> >adjustment of the tuning of individual notes? The harmonic series is the
>> >same whether played on a bugle, trumpet or alphorn.
>>
>> Alert: not one of these exactly plays an overtone series. They get close,
>> but every one of them functions as a "stopped" pipe, with a series
>> of resonances which is compressed from a basic odds-only series.
>
>There you go, Matt, having the same confusion as Peter. They all have
>"overtone series", but none of them is precisely a *harmonic* series.

They all have overtone series in the fourier transform of single notes
which are harmonic because they are driven resonators. But every one
of them functions as a stopped pipe, still, and their resonances are
inharmonic. The natural resonances of ALL of them differ substantially
from 1:2:3:4:5..., having been detuned from a basic set of 1:3:5:7:9....
Fortunately, not only have instrument designers tinkered with the shapes
to get something fairly close to 2:3:4:5... (WITHOUT 1!), but players
are adept at forcing the instrument up or down a bit to bring it into tune.
Modern valved trumpets also have two slides to help microtune the
resonances closer to the intended pitches on the fly.

Forest, trees.



-- 
       Matthew H. Fields http://personal.www.umich.edu/~fields
                        Music: Splendor in Sound
  Brights have a naturalistic world-view. http://www.the-brights.net/