Comparative study of clarinets and oboes

The oboe and clarinet are relatively similar instruments in their size and shape yet create such a different sound. This study is an exploration of the reasoning behind their differences through a detailed acoustical analysis and geometrical study of these instruments, comparing and contrasting their properties. The oboe and clarinet are comparable in size but have some key differences. The oboe’s conical shape allows for all the harmonics to be present, while the clarinet is mostly cylindrical, except for the bell, so that mostly odd harmonics are present. The oboe’s keys have holes much smaller than those of the clarinet. Looking to find differences in acoustical spectra based on their geometric differences, samples of low, medium, and high ranges on both instruments using the same concert pitches have been taken. Data has been taken in a regular lab setting as well as an anecoic chamber in order to look for differences in harmonic content for each instrument. The data are consistent with the notion that the shape of the instruments does contribute to the spectra.