Re Mr. Adams. I find these articles to be so off base, I don’t know where to begin to comment. Maybe start with the nomenclature?
- OVERTONES
The assertion is more overtones lead to better sound. This is false.
An overtone has 2 components; the harmonic and inharmonic.
a/ An harmonic is an integer multiple of the fundamental. Example: an harmonic of C is G.
b/ An inharmonic is non-integer multiple of the fundamental. Example: an inharmonic of C is C#.
Why is this important? Simplistically, an harmonic will increase the tonal quality of the instrument. The inharmonic interferes with the fundamental, reducing the tonal quality of the instrument.
We want harmonics.
Every vibration that any instrument turns into a tone for our ears has an harmonic. This is basic physics. The question is: can we hear the harmonics? If we can, the common descriptor is “rich”. If we hear fewer harmonics, the common descriptor is “focussed”. If we hear the inharmonics, the descriptor is “poor”.
To hear this for yourselves, listen carefully to this excellent trumpeter at this link: two identical trumpets but for the bells, with two distinct tonal qualities. [play on a good sound system!]
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Why these horns sound different? Answer: harmonics. The brass bell produces very audible harmonics, which create a rich tone; but some will say this horn has less projection. The copper bell produces less audible harmonics, which our ears pick up as a more focused tone; which some will say this horn has more ‘core’ and more ‘projection’.
- RESONANCE
The assertion is trumpets have resonance. This is false.
Resonance describes the phenomena of amplification that occurs when the frequency of a periodically applied force is in harmonic proportion to a natural frequency of the system on which it acts. The term resonance (from Latin resonantia, 'echo', from resonare, 'resound') originates from the field of acoustics, particularly observed in musical instruments, e.g., when strings started to vibrate and to produce sound without direct excitation by the player.
The effect of resonance is to amplify sound. This requires 2 or more sources of vibrations, in harmony. It means the wave of source 2 is added to source 1, in perfect cycle, so to combine the energy of the 2 waves, and thus increase the amplitude.
Ask any violinist about a ‘wolf tone’. These are tones that mysteriously appear when an open string is played, usually the A string. Sound on a violin has 3 vibrating sources: the strings, the air inside the violin, and the wood. Too often, these sources combine to create resonance, which produces a louder A string than desired, for the duration of the note played. This produces a very unnatural sounding tone that is very audible. For this reason, violinists will go to extreme contortions to avoid this: they avoid resonance!
On a trumpet, how is it possible that a trumpet has 2 sources of vibrations, and in perfect cycle, and can be added perfectly? Have you ever encountered a time when somehow a G note is mysteriously louder with no additional effort from you?
Resonance requires a closed structure. Trumpets are not closed. For trumpets, this means a closed room. And, the acoustics of that room must be conducive to resonance. To prove this, simply play outdoors, and tell me how ‘resonant’ is your sound.
No trumpet can be resonant. It’s impossible.
- AMPLIFICATION
The assertion is trumpets amplify sound. This is false.
Frankly, this a weird assertion. Amplification means the output is greater than the input. To increase anything, something must be added. For sound, the only factor is pressure. To increase pressure, more energy is required.
The term, amplification, is derived from the science of electronics. Typically, a weak analogue signal is fed into a circuit, which increases the power of that signal. This requires an additional source of energy. For audio amplifiers, that energy comes from the power supply: ie a battery or the power mains. If no additional power is added, no amplification is possible.
Tell me, does a trumpet have a power supply? How does a trumpet add more energy? How can a trumpet add pressure [in fact, trumpets decrease pressure]? It cannot.
Trumpets are not amplifiers.
- EFFICIENCY
Frankly, I cannot define his assertion, but Adams tosses ‘efficiency’ into his mix quite frequently.
Efficiency is a ratio: the ratio of outputs to inputs. The quotient can never exceed ‘1’: because the principle of energy conservation means outputs can never exceed inputs (2÷2=1).
In a prior post, I explain the factors of sound and trumpet.
a/ Sound requires 2 factors: pressure and frequency (because our ears respond to these, only)
b/ A trumpet is an open-ended, conical tube. The pressure applied at the small end [mouthpiece] is drastically reduced at the large end [the bell]. The ‘smoke test’ demonstrates this visually and very clearly. Virtually no air flows through. Therefore, the trumpet is inherently inefficient.
To improve a trumpet’s efficiency, the output must increase. This means reduced volume and proportions. But doing so would ruin a trumpet’s tone and sound. All we can hope for is that one trumpet can magically produce slightly more output pressure than another trumpet. But each trumpet is static: ie fixed in volume and proportions, which the trumpeter cannot magically change via inputs alone. Thus, we must do with whatever inherent qualities any particular trumpet may have.
A trumpet has an extremely low efficiency. No trumpeter can increase this without physically altering the instrument.
THEREFORE:
a/ as the maths and smoke test demonstrate a trumpet’s extreme level of inefficiency;
b/ as our ears require pressure to hear sound, and increased amplitude requires increased pressure;
c/ as no trumpet can add energy to increase [amplify] pressure;
d/ as resonance requires 2 sources of vibrations and a closed structure;
e/ as no trumpet has 2 vibrating sources and a closed structure;
can anyone tell me what Mr Adams is talking about?