Klarinet Archive - Posting 000333.txt from 1995/08

From: R Adam Pease <R_Adam_Pease@-----.GOV>
Subj: Intonation question
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 14:00:56 -0400

I am becoming more aware of the notes on my clarinet which are less in
tune than others. I'm playing a Selmer series 9. Low soft notes are very
difficult to keep from going sharp. B and A are especially bad. My
throat tone A and the second register F are both a bit flat. I can lip
these notes into tune but then my tone is not quite what I want it to be.
My solution has been to alter fingerings. For the low B and A I add the
low F key. For the throat A I add the side F# trill keys. For the
second register F I add the E flat key. With these keys I can achieve
a normal and consistent embouchure. My questions are: is adding keys a
normal solution that others employ or is it potentially a bad habit? Do
others playing similar equipment have problems on these notes? Is it
possible to "fix" these notes without affecting tone quality or the pitch
of other notes by tone hole undercutting or some other method?
I also have a subjective perception that it is extremely minor pitch
differences which cause a degradation in the quality of sound of an
ensemble. This means that the listener does not perceive an intonation
problem but only a less beautiful timbre. Does anyone else have this
impression?
Also, many thanks to Jim Freeman and the City Winds for a great concert
on Wednesday. They played a number of important additions to the quintet
and solo clarinet repertoire. I hope my quintet will sound as tight as
they did after we've been playing together a while!

Adam Pease
r_adam_pease@-----.gov
pease@-----.gov