Klarinet Archive - Posting 000560.txt from 2001/07

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Tuning a mouthpiece
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 12:36:50 -0400

<< How do you tune a mouthpiece? (Maybe you tune the instrument rather than the mouthpiece.)>>

Unless you are a repairman or a mouthpiece technician, you don't tune a mouthpiece.

In terms of tuning your instrument, it is MUCH more helpful to consider the mouthpiece and barrel as a unit. It is the total volume of air enclosed with the chamber of the mouthpiece and the bore of the barrel that determine basic tuning characteristics.

After that, it is the shape of the bore in the barrel that determines which 12ths will be affected, for better or ill.

None of this information helps the player with a given mouthpiece, and barrel, and instrument, sitting in a rehearsal hall.

What I suggest is this procedure.

1. Thoroughly warm up your instrument. No point in trying to tune a cold clarinet.

2. After you are warmed-up, test your throat "G" with a tuner. Pull out as far as you need to to bring this note in tune. If you need tom pull more than 1 mm, you should consider using tuning rings.

(Many clarinets, especially student models, are sharp in the throat tones. If you're flat, you're in trouble, and need to do something with any or all of the following: embouchure, reed, mouthpiece, barrel, top joint of clarinet. See a GOOD teacher and a GOOD technician.)

3.Only after tuning the throat "G", test concert A or Bb. If you are on pitch, great. If you are sharp, you might consider pulling out slightly between the top joint and the lower joint. (I always need to do this on my bass clarinet, I even made a tuning ring which always stays in the tenon socket of the lower joint.)If you are flat on concert A or Bb, you know you shouldn't pull out any further.

4. After I do all this, I compare below the staff C, fourth space C, and above the staff C, to see if they are in tune with each other. At this point you should be very close. If the high C is sharp (and it probably will be, you might want to pull a little more at the barrel and lip the throat tones up to pitch. It's almost always easier to lip "up" than "down" and maintain control.

I hope this is helpful. I'm interested in hearing about other's tuning routines.

Walter Grabner
ClarinetXpress.com

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