[Dixielandjazz] Hot air, cold air, humidity

[Stephen G Barbone]

> Paul Edgerton <paul.edgerton at gmail.com> wrote (polite snip)
>
> On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 5:40 AM, Hal Vickery <hvickery_80 at msn.com>  
> wrote:
>> High school physics teacher here.
> ...
>> Now as to the hot air/cold air thing:  Paul is right.
>
> Hal, you're my new favorite person!

Hey Paul:

All of us clarinet players who play outdoors knew you were right. We  
may not be physicists, but we know we go flat when the temperature  
drops.

For non-musicians, many of us clarinet players have short barrels, or  
adjustables for outdoor gigs. They shorten the length the air has to  
travel before it reaches the tone holes raising the pitch. I have a  
short barrel 2mm shorter in length than the regular barrel and use it  
for outdoor temperatures below 70 degrees fahrenheit. I don't take any  
gigs outdoors anymore when the weather is likely to be below 60 degrees.

Humidity also plays a role in the tuning problems with wooden  
instruments. That's why some of us will use plastic or hard rubber  
clarinets on humid outdoor gigs. Kenny Davern had a beautiful hard  
rubber (or some such material) Conn Clarinet circa 1930 or so, that he  
sometimes used outdoors to avoid these tuning problems. It didn't suck  
up the humidity like wood does.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband