Improving sound of clarinet by coating lacquerware (Wajima-nuri)

Abstract Thick films of lacquers by Wajima-nuri were coated only on a barrel and a bell of a clarinet. Significant change of sound characteristics has been observed on the frequency spectra analyzed by FFT. For octave below on A3 (220 Hz), the resonant peaks appear in 8– 10 kHz only coated both on the outer and inner surfaces. For octave above on A5 (880 Hz), dissonances found before the coating disappeared by the coating. The half width of the resonant peaks becomes narrower, resulting in the sharp sounds after being Wajima-nuri. At 15– 20 kHz, the width of the peaks becomes sharp, and the sound pressures are extraordinarily strong if coated on both surfaces. All peaks of sound pressures were shifted to higher frequencies by Wajima-nuri. The improvement of sound characteristics is most effective coated on both inside and outside the barrel and bell of clarinet.