Klarinet Archive - Posting 000402.txt from 1998/02

From: gdubac <gdubac@-----.com>
Subj: Re: bothersome b
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 1998 19:39:12 -0500

Tony Roberts wrote:
>
> I've been playing my clarinet again for about a month now following a
> layoff of many years.
>
> I'm having difficulty getting the third-line B to play. I can make it work
> if I really think about it, but often when I'm moving along through an
> exercise, I finger the B for an eighth note or a sixteenth note and nothing
> sounds.
>
> In reading Jack Brymer's book, I see that he makes mention that this is a
> difficult note as one learns to cross the break from the open throat notes,
> but he seems to indicate that once the problem is identified and the note
> is attacked with a little diaphragmatic push, all is well.
>
> I have no memory of this note being a problem from my playing days in high
> school. I find my self wondering whether there might be an equipment
> problem associated with this, but I don't know where to look for that. The
> low E seems to sound without problem. And I just had the clarinet repadded
> and bought a new mouthpiece a few weeks ago.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Tony

The problem you are having may be a problem with the key itself. I have
often had this problem with the third line B as well. This problem is
usually caused when the third space C key connecter is too low. If it
is too low, it will take a long time for the B to respond. To fix it,
you can bend the connecter up higher. But don't bend it up too high.
Mark Dubac