[Dixielandjazz] Low Notes on the Baritone Sax

[Patrick Cooke]

>The woolliness of low notes played by plucking the >strings of a bass was
probably the reason the old->timers invented "slap-bass",

I have long suspected this to be the truth.  If amps had been available back
then, the "old masters' would have used them.
      Pat Cooke

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Smith" <robert.smith at mitransport.no>
To: "Dixieland Jazz" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2004 5:02 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Low Notes on the Baritone Sax


Larry

I think you are right when you say that intonation mis-matches affect the
ability to play a low note. The frequency of a note ('pitch') multiplied by
the wavelength is equal to the velocity of sound in air. This velocity does
not vary with air pressure, and only slightly with the humidity. It does,
however, vary significantly with the air temperature. If you tune the sax to
an octave under concert A at, say, 20°C (68°F) then the frequency will be
221 Hz. If you now play at, say, 30°C (86°F) then the pitch will increase by
4Hz (most trained musicians can hear the difference between notes only 1 Hz
apart). Conversely playing at 10°C (50°F) will decrease the pitch by 3+ Hz.
The expansion and contraction of the instrument will tend to nullify these
variations slightly.
Because of the player's breath wind instruments will be warmer than string
instruments, and this will lead to a slight intonation mis-match, but this
could be enough to explain the various effects noted so far on the list.
The woolliness of low notes played by plucking the strings of a bass was
probably the reason the old-timers invented "slap-bass", and your problem
may be the reason for slap-tonguing.
Just for the record, my experience has been with the trombone, and not with
saxes or string instruments.

Cheers

Bob Smith
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