The purpose of this study is to trace the development of a practically extinct woodwind instrument, the basset horn, and its use by composers as both a solo and an orchestral instrument. The first chapter concerns the development of the basset horn from the earliest imperfect specimen to the modern-day instrument. The second chapter deals with the physical characteristics that are peculiar to the instrument. The third chapter discusses the literature and musical history of the basset horn. An appendix provides a comprehensive listing of literature for the instrument.

A well-made flute is always a compromise and the job of flute makers is to achieve a musically and aesthetically satisfying compromise; a task that involves much trial and-error. The practical aim of this thesis is to develop a mathematical model of the flute and a computer program that assists in the flute design process. Many musical qualities of a woodwind instrument may be calculated from the acoustic impedance spectrum of the instrument. A technique for fast and accurate measurement of this quantity is developed. The technique is based on the multiple-microphone technique, and uses resonance-free impedance loads to calibrate the system and spectral shaping to improve the precision at impedance extrema. The impedance spectra of the flute and clarinet are measured over a wide range of fingerings, yielding a comprehensive and accurate database. The impedance properties of single finger holes are measured using a related technique, and fitformulae are derived for the length corrections of closed finger holes for a typical range of hole sizes and lengths. The bore surface of wooden instruments can change over time with playing and this can affect the acoustic impedance, and therefore the playing quality. Such changes in acoustic impedance are explored using wooden test pipes. To account for the effect of a typical player on flute tuning, an empirical correction is determined from the measured tuning of both modern and classical flutes as played by several professional and semi-professional players. By combining the measured impedance database with the player effects and various results in the literature a mathematical model of the input impedance of flutes is developed and implemented in command-line programs written in the software language C. A user-friendly graphical interface is created using the flute impedance model for the purposes of flute acoustical design and analysis. The program calculates the tuning and other acoustical properties for any given geometry. The program is applied to a modern flute and a classical flute. The capabilities and limitations of the software are thereby illustrated and possible contributions of the program to contemporary flute design are explored.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of North Texas, 2002. / Accompanied by 4 recitals, recorded June 16, 1997, June 29, 1998, June 25, 2001, and Mar. 4, 2002. Includes bibliographical references (p. 51-52).

A well-made flute is always a compromise and the job of flute makers is to achieve a musically and aesthetically satisfying compromise; a task that involves much trial and-error. The practical aim of this thesis is to develop a mathematical model of the flute and a computer program that assists in the flute design process. Many musical qualities of a woodwind instrument may be calculated from the acoustic impedance spectrum of the instrument. A technique for fast and accurate measurement of this quantity is developed. The technique is based on the multiple-microphone technique, and uses resonance-free impedance loads to calibrate the system and spectral shaping to improve the precision at impedance extrema. The impedance spectra of the flute and clarinet are measured over a wide range of fingerings, yielding a comprehensive and accurate database. The impedance properties of single finger holes are measured using a related technique, and fitformulae are derived for the length corrections of closed finger holes for a typical range of hole sizes and lengths. The bore surface of wooden instruments can change over time with playing and this can affect the acoustic impedance, and therefore the playing quality. Such changes in acoustic impedance are explored using wooden test pipes. To account for the effect of a typical player on flute tuning, an empirical correction is determined from the measured tuning of both modern and classical flutes as played by several professional and semi-professional players. By combining the measured impedance database with the player effects and various results in the literature a mathematical model of the input impedance of flutes is developed and implemented in command-line programs written in the software language C. A user-friendly graphical interface is created using the flute impedance model for the purposes of flute acoustical design and analysis. The program calculates the tuning and other acoustical properties for any given geometry. The program is applied to a modern flute and a classical flute. The capabilities and limitations of the software are thereby illustrated and possible contributions of the program to contemporary flute design are explored.

How important is the player???s vocal tract in clarinet and saxophone performance? Acoustician???s opinions have ranged from ???negligible??? [Backus (1985), JASA 78, 17] to ???vocal tract resonance frequencies must match the frequency of the required notes??? [Clinch et al. (1982), Acustica 50, 280]. Musicians??? opinions are similarly varied. To understand how the tract-reed-bore system interacts, acoustical measurements of performers??? vocal tracts during playing were made using measurement heads mounted in the mouthpieces of a clarinet and a tenor saxophone. Acoustic impedance spectra of the tenor and soprano saxophone bores were also measured for all standard fingerings, and some others. For fingerings high in the tenor saxophone???s second register, bore impedance peaks downstream decrease with increasing pitch. Above the first 2.7 octaves, peak values fall below 30 MPa.s.m-3 and this ends the standard range available to amateurs. To play the higher altissimo notes, experts produced strong vocal tract resonances upstream with impedances 10-40 MPa.s.m-3 tuned to sound the desired note. While expert saxophonists adjust their vocal tract thus for altissimo playing, inexperienced players do not, and consequently cannot produce these notes. The smoothly rising clarinet glissando solo opening Gershwin???s Rhapsody in Blue was also investigated. Partially uncovering an open finger-hole smoothly raises clarinet resonances in the lower register, allowing continuous increases in playing pitch. When pitch bending in the second (clarino) register, experienced players produced strong tract resonances with impedances up to 60 MPa.s.m-3, comparable in magnitude with those of the clarinet bore (40-50 MPa.s.m-3). Thus during the glissando, sounding pitch is controlled by smoothly varying a strong resonance in the player???s vocal tract. The phase of the reed impedance is shown to make downwards pitch bending easier than upwards. Similar vocal tract adjustments were observed on the clarinet and saxophone for other advanced techniques such as bugling and multiphonic selection. During normal playing, although experienced players produced vocal tract impedance peaks with only moderate magnitude, these peaks were adjusted systematically to frequencies about 150 Hz higher than the sounding pitch (determined by strong bore resonances). This strategy may avoid the effects of small unwanted tract-bore interactions on sounding pitch.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-109). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-109). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.M.)--Ohio University, June, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Orientador: Stelamaris Rolla Bertoli / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-23T15:37:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thomazelli_Rodolfo_M.pdf: 57345196 bytes, checksum: 3da9f24b7c1ff80c9e4ffefcf62d51ed (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: A impedância acústica é um dos conceitos importantes para o estudo da propagação de ondas sonoras em dutos, pois por meio de sua determinação, outros parâmetros acústicos são obtidos. É um espectro em freqüências, e pode ser obtida experimentalmente através de um medidor de impedância acústica. Na presente pesquisa foi construído e validado um medidor de impedância acústica. Como objeto de estudo foi utilizados os pífanos - instrumentos de sopro da família das flautas. Dentre os métodos experimentais indicados na literatura, optou-se pelo uso do TMTC (Two Microphones Three Calibrations), devido à acessibilidade aos requisitos práticos e a possibilidade de investigação das flautas. Foram feitas medidas de impedância de dois dutos cilíndricos, de diferentes comprimentos e diâmetros internos constantes, cujos resultados foram comparados com modelos teóricos (etapa de validação). Determinou-se também a impedância acústica de três pífanos de afinações distintas. Da análise dos resultados, verificou-se a eficácia do método adotado e do aparato construído para a investigação da impedância acústica de dutos simples e, em especial, dos pífanos. Discutiu-se também aspectos importantes da construção do aparato, em termos da acessibilidade e complexidade / Abstract: The acoustical impedance is one of the indissociable factors in the studies of sound wave propagation in ducts, once its measuring provides other acoustical parameters. Its values are frequencydependent and can be determined with the use of an acoustical impedance spectrometer. For this research an acoustical impedance spectrometer was designed and validated. The research focused on a Brazilian woodwind instrument called "pífano", from the flute family. The experimental method known as TMTC (Two Microphones Three Calibrations) was chosen, for it provides easy access to practical needs and has wide capacity to interact with flutes. The spectrum from two cylindrical ducts were taken, each duct with a different length but equal inner diameters. The spectrum of three "pífanos" with different tunings, was also measured. The results from the cylindrical ducts were later compared to theoretical models (validation stage). From the results it was possible to ascertain the efficiency of the adopted method and apparatus built to investigate acoustical impedance of regular ducts and "pífano" flutes. Other important aspects of the process of building the apparatus were also discussed, in terms of accessibility and complexity / Mestrado / Arquitetura e Construção / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

It is the purpose of this thesis to present some of the material to be employed in the pedagogy of the woodwind instrument classes at the college level in order that this material may serve as a useful and beneficial guide for the students and teachers of the woodwind instrument classes. This study has been prepared in the belief that a most serious obstacle in the teaching of woodwind instrument classes is the lack of a comprehensive text dealing with the fundamentals underlying the selection of teaching materials to be used. In a large number of instances young teachers are confronted with the necessity of developing a woodwind department in their schools without having had any systematic preparation for the task. This thesis attempts to meet this need.