Honk if you like Horns

>>A trumpet is 3 natural horns in a small package.
>
>This is not quite right. Three-valved brass instruments are actually seven
>natural horns sharing a bell and a mouthpiece. The valves are usually tuned
to >lower the open horn by multiples of equal-tempered semitones (1st valve
by 2 >semitones, 2nd by 1, third by 3;

I said 3 for simplicity. If you want to pick nits, lots of trumpets have
other numbers of valves. On the "3" example, if the fundamentals of the
sections are set as you say, then there's actually only 6 horns. However,
on many horns, 1st and 2nd does not equal 3rd. And let's not forget that at
least the 1st and 3rd sections (i've seen some techniques with the 2nd too)
are adjustable in length. These can quickly and accurately be adjusted by
the practiced player to yield an un-countable infinity of horns.

>So the fundmentals of the tones produced by all combinations of valves are
set >to 12tet. The lips buzz at or near positions on a harmonic series, but
the >actual form of the tubing can influence this and the designs of
individual >manufacturers reflect this fact. An easy demonstration of this
is available on >the trombone: insert the mouthpiece in the separated bell
joint. With the
>dimensions now largely conical, it becomes virtually impossible to blow a
>harmonic series (I say virtually, because I do know some players who can
>lip up or down at least a fifth in any position).

I can blow a harmonic series to the 8th partial on most of my 15,897 horns.

Carl


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From: alves@orion.ac.hmc.edu (Bill Alves)
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