Klarinet Archive - Posting 000580.txt from 1997/06

From: Martin Marks <mmarks@-----.net>
Subj: Re: QUESTION ABOUT PITCH
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 1997 00:12:37 -0400

jeroenAt 12:54 AM 6/26/97 +0200, you wrote:
>hello all clarinet-lovers,
>
>I hope you are all doing well!! At the moment I'm playing (ao.) Bolero
>(Ravel): the Eb part... We are conducted by jaap van zweden (violinist,
>former concertmeister of the Concertgebouw Orchestra-Amsterdam). OK, I have
>a serious question:
>Our clarinet group (of the Brabant orchestra in Eindhoven-the netherlands)
>is plying on Buffets Elites clarinets and B40 mp (and vandoren french cut
>#3). We had two different sized barrels with the clarinets and we are using
>the long ones. But, whlie plying, we have to put the barrel out for aprox.
>4-6 mm. I find that very much, and this is, to play on a 442-443Hz A.
>What I want is to have an instrument on wich I can play with the short
>barrel (and only max 3 mm. out) a A@-----.
>
>My question: your instruments (the Buffets made for the US market) are
>pitched for A@-----. Could you be so kind and play on a warm
>"horn"and play a few notes with a tuner. Take a short barrel, and what do
>you get?
>
>My point is: I want to know if it is probably the case, that when you play
>on a short barrel, on a warm intrument, you perhaps play 442/443. If that
>is the case, I will think about maybe purchasing a American-pitched Buffet
>(Vintage or R13)...
>But: it has to be, that I can play on that intrument with an A@-----.
>
>Becaus": I want to play on short barrels and with no more than 2/3 mm.
>barrel-out. I think that is the ideal position for the tuning of the
>intrument 9especcially the throught notes causes very much problems in our
>group, due to the long barrel and the quite much milimeters out of the
>barrel)
>
>(Sorry for my bad English..I hope you kind folks can understand my
>question).
>
>Maybe you have other ideas, suggestions etc. concerning this fact.
>I find it quite frustrating, always to think notes low on the clarinet, I
>mean: I should be much easier when not all the notes are to high on the
>clarinet, and: its quite frustrating to have the throught-notes so
>low...very difficult in forte-passages.
>
>Well,
>
>happy playing, music-listening,
>
>yours,
>jeroen T. Salm
>The Netherlands
>
>
>jeroen,
I find that that Vandoren mpcs. play sharper on my R13's than many other
mpcs. When I play Vandoren mpcs. I use the long barrels that came with
my US R13's. With many other mouthpieces, such as those made from
Zinner blanks, Pomaricos, the Vandoren M13 series, Genusa and there are
many more I am sure, in order to bring the pitch up to A440 a shorter barrel
must be used. My experience has been that the standard Vandoren mpc.
on a US R13 will tune to A440 on the standard long barrel (66mm on the Bb
clarinet) pulled out very slightly. You could try other mpcs. Many will
lower
the pitch considerably.
Marty Marks