Klarinet Archive - Posting 000457.txt from 2001/05

From: Kent Krive <kkrive@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Clarinet History
Date: Sat, 19 May 2001 12:02:05 -0400

Bill,

It takes some conscious effort to overblow the chalameau register... It
is highly probable that your clarinet has a leaky pad. Look first at the
throat A; if there is no play between the A and G# keys, the adjustment
could be anything from exactly on to "in" too far. If it's in to far,
the G# pad will be held open. Even if the adjustment looks correct and
there's no play, back the screw off a tad until there is the minutest of
play. Perhaps you'll hear a tiny click or feel the G# key take up that
tiniest of slack when you depress the A key. When you've done that, at
least you'll have eliminated that possibility unless the G# pad is
ragged. If that's the case with that pad, or any other pad in the top
joint, that would be your answer...

Kent

William Wright wrote:
>
> <><> ability to excite the next set of overtones
>
> Perhaps I should be embarrassed to admit this, but occasionally I
> pick up my instrument with the intent of playing a scale from chalumeau
> upwards (that is, without fingering the register key), and only clarion
> notes come out. When this happens to me, I attempt to adjust my
> embouchure and tongue and to depress my register key a couple of times
> (just to convince myself that it isn't stuck open, which it never is),
> but nothing works. I remain stuck in the clarion register no matter
> what I try.
>
> The only cure (for me) is to move up the scale without touching the
> register key until finally I get so high that the reed drops down on its
> own accord to the register that I want. Once this happens, the problem
> does not recur.
>
> My point is: if this register jump happens unwillingly to me,
> then presumably it happened ages ago to other musicians as well. This
> assumes that a closed register key (on a instrument that is built to
> take advantage of the key when it is opened) is truly the same as an
> instrument with no register key at all --- which may not be true.
>
> I feel that someday, when I learn how to force myself down to the
> chalumeau register instantly, I will have learned something important.
> The obvious suspicion is a leaky pad or a sticky key or a weak spring;
> but so far, two different technicians have been unable to spot anything
> that needs fixing. I'm fairly certain that it's me, not the
> instrument.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
> Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
> Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
> Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org