Understanding timbral effects of multi-resonator/generator systems of wind instruments in the context of western and non-western music
Jonas Braasch · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2015
Wind instruments are often modeled as a coupled generator-resonator system, which in case of the clarinet consists of a reed and a cylindrical pipe. However, the fact that the throat and oral cavities behind the tone generator also play a critical role is often neglected. While the resonance pipe of a wind instrument can be adjusted in length through keyholes or valves, its width is fixed. The opposite can be observed for the human resonance system where the length is fixed but the dimensions of the cross-section are variable. This is important fact is routinely used to shape the timbral qualities of tones and to determine the tones’ fundamental frequencies—for example, to generate high notes above the normal range on a saxophone. In many music cultures, time-varying timbral modifications are more important than melodic aspects, for example, in traditional digeridoo practice. A third resonator system is the room the musical instrument is performed in. This can also have important timbre shaping aspects, emphasizing, for example, the brilliant sound of Bach trumpets. An extended saxophone [Braasch, 2014, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 135, 2245] and convolution reverb is used to demonstrate and analyze the effects of multi-resonator/generator systems for this presentation.