Klarinet Archive - Posting 000079.txt from 1994/03

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: barrel question
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 1994 12:12:30 -0500

On Sun, 6 Mar 1994, SCOTT MCCHESNEY wrote:

> - my Buffet plays EXTREMELY sharp, . . .
>
> 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?

A longer barrel is one pretty obvious solution. A cheaper alternative is
to obtain a set of "tuning rings" -- plastic washers which fill the gaps
made by pulling joints out (assuming that the gaps which this causes are
detrimental to the sound and function of your instrument; try before you
buy). Once you find a basic configuration that works, you may wish to have
your clarinet fine tuned.

Nobody is destined to play out of tune. (I can just imagine offering that
as an excuse to an irritated conductor:-) Differences in chops can result
in different people playing the same instrument and mouthpiece at
different pitch levels. Also, the content and temperature of the mixture
of gases that you blow into a horn can effect its pitch very
substantially. However silly it may seem, variations in normal body
temperatures from player to player are probably a prime factor in
determining how sharp or flat they play.