Klarinet Archive - Posting 000404.txt from 1998/02

From: "Gene Nibbelin" <gnibbelin@-----.com>
Subj: Re: bothersome b
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 1998 20:32:23 -0500

Tony -

I was in somewhat the same position as you, only I had been away from
playing for 40+ years. After having my A clarinet repadded, it seemed OK
for a week or so, but then the trouble that you cited began. I tried the
usual "blowing and sucking" routine and couldn't notice any discernible
leaks. However, using a short strip of discarded cassett tape (mylar) as a
"feeler", the fact that the bottom pad was not properly seated became
readily apparent.. A trip back to the repair shop cured the problem. It
doesn't take much of a leak to cause a bad response problem

Hope that this is all your problem is.

Gene Nibbelin

----------
> From: Tony Roberts <troberts@-----.net>
> To: klarinet@-----.us
> Subject: bothersome b
> Date: Saturday, February 07, 1998 6:36 PM
>
> 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
>