Klarinet Archive - Posting 000073.txt from 1994/03

From: SCOTT MCCHESNEY <MCCHESS4641@-----.EDU>
Subj: barrel question
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 1994 01:45:00 -0500

I recently purchased a new Portnoy mouthpiece on my return to school.
Wonderful piece, and after some practice, I am growing very fond of it.
However, I have a problem.

The Portnoy plays much flatter than my previous Combs mouthpiece. For me, this
is a boon - my Buffet plays EXTREMELY sharp, such that at times with the Combs
I had to pull out in the middle joint. The Portnoy seemed to solve this
admirably.

Yet, I get into Symphonic Band rehearsal, and the tuner they have - admittedly
an older one - still shows me at quite sharp, and STILL having to pull out my
middle joint. Yet the mouthpiece plays FLATTER than my last one. I'm still
scratching my head over that one...

In any event, I would like to solve the problem once and for all. My
professor owns a Buffet also - the serial #'s are very close together, and he
says the instruments play almost exactly the same. His also plays very sharp,
but he doesn't have to yank on barrel joints half as bad as I do. The #'s fall
in the 62,000 range - around the late 50's, if I remember right.

Do I need to buy a longer barrel? Or is there something I can do to the
clarinet to bring me "down to pitch"? Or am I simply destined to be out of
tune?

HELP!!!!

-- Scott