h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A9567723

The list of harmonics in this Entry starts with 0 as the fundamental, then 1 as the octave and so on. This is a bad idea.

Much more useful is to number the fundamental as 1, because the subsequent harmonics are then numbered to give the multiplier of the fundamental frequency. Twice the frequency gives the octave, three times gives an octave plus a fifth, and so on.

The usefulness can be seen at a glance, in that all the octaves above the fundamental are now 2, 4, 8, 16, and so on.

This is the way they are numbered in (for instance) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic which is extremely well written, accurate and readable.

I suggest upping the left-hand column of the second table (headed 'Harmonic') by one in each box, to read 1-16 instead of 0-15.

If 'Harmonic' doesn't seem to apply to the fundamental (it doesn't really) then the heading could be changed to 'Frequency x' (meaning 'Frequency multiplied by').

Thanks very much Recumbentman. That's fixed now

Alas not correctly. It should go

Frequency ×Tone

1
C

2
C

3
G

4
C

5
E

6
G

7
Bb (slightly flatThe slightly flat notes are about a quarter of a semitone flat.</FOOTNOTE&gt

8
C

9
D

10
E

11
F# (very flatThe very flat notes are about a half of a semitone flat.</FOOTNOTE&gt

12
G

13
A (very flat)

14
Bb (slightly flat)

15
B

16
C



Furthermore the sentence which follows must also be corrected, to say

This first tone in this table, denoted by 1, is the fundamental tone, the wavelength of which is twice the length of the pipe. This note is called the pedal tone, but it is quite a difficult tone to reach on a typical instrument such as a trumpet, and the normal lowest note of the instrument is considered to be the one denoted as 2 in the table.

It should be followed by this sentence (which may or may not form a footnote):

Trombones, however, and members of the Saxhorn family (tubas, tenor horns, euphoniums, alto horns: the heart of the brass band), are quite easily able to produce their pedal tone.

Try it now

Excellent!

Two more!

1.
The sentence that follows, about the trumpet being able to play a scale, is not easily grasped in context (of course trumpets can play scales!) and should get a paragraph to itself, reading:

Early trumpets had no valves: this is the kind of 'natural trumpet' used by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. It can be seen that even with such a limited instrument, a scale can be played using harmonics 8 to 16, although some of the notes will be out of tune. This must be compensated for by changes in the tension in the player's lips. Modern trumpeters in period-instrument bands generally make this job easier than it was in the 18th century by the sneaky addition of one or more tiny vent holes, inconspicuously covered by a finger or thumb. If a player disdains to use vent holes, only then is the instrument worthy of being called a 'natural trumpet'; the term for a vented one is 'baroque trumpet'.

2.
Under Tenor Horn and Baritone:

These two horns (the baritone is a baritone horn) have a fairly straight bore, similar to the bore found in a cornet.

Should read

These two horns (the baritone is a baritone horn) have a conical bore, similar to the bore found in a cornet or tuba, though not quite so conical as a euphonium. So does the alto horn, and indeed all the members of the Saxhorn family.

It was members of the Saxhorn family that terrorised our neighbourhood for years

Added those Recumbentman, and also added you to the author list so you can find it easily in your edited entries list

Many thanks GB!

If you feel it is worth it, you could add this to the part on Wooden 'brass' instruments:

The most agile of instruments sounded by the lipsThe proper term is 'lip-reed' though we generally say 'brass'. before the invention of valves was the cornett, used from medieval times up until the 18th Century. This was made of wood, sometimes covered in leather; it had a conical bore and more often than not had a curved body. Notes are controlled by finger holes, exactly as on a flute or recorder. The bass cornett had three curves, in order to bring the finger holes close enough for the player to reach. Because of its S-shape, it was called the serpent.

Thank you for doing that!

If you're still interested this should be the last. That Subheader

'Wooden' Brass Instruments

should really be

Wooden 'Brass' Instruments

shouldn't it?

Aye, that it should.



All done now

Thanks for all your help with this, Recumbentman. This was my first Flea Market rescue...