Klarinet Archive - Posting 000754.txt from 2002/10

From: "WILLIAM SEMPLE" <wsemple@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] New intonation problem
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 13:24:26 -0500

A few things.

1) Your ear may be freshly attuned to this problem. It may have existed for
longer than you think. How are you checking for the intonation? By ear or by
a chromatic tuner?

2) The curious aspect of this is that the A and Ab appear to change
dramatically in pitch after only a warm-up period. So moisture and/or warmth
must be affecting something: the pads, tone holes, the reed.

Here are some wild ideas:

1) A leak from the tone holes above the A and Ab, e.g, the 10bis key (the
alternate Bb) as noted on the Lazarus Boehm fingering chart, or the register
key, becoming more pronounced as the pad expands.

A leak would have the affect of raising the pitch of the A and Ab. But then
it could also have the affect of making the rest of the instrument
unplayable . . . notice any change in resistance?

2) Sediment build up in the open F and F# tone holes, or elsewhere.

When was the last time you had the horn completely overhauled?

----- Original Message -----
From: "James Hobby" <jhobby@-----.net>
Subject: [kl] New intonation problem

> (And I do mean new, as in the lasts month, tops.)
>
> Instrument is a Selmer 9* Bb, built in 1961. Pete Fountain crystal
> mouthpiece, replaced in (I think) 1964 when I dropped my first one against
> the stand base in the orchestra pit. No new equipment or changes to it.
No
> screws have been adjusted. It hasn't been banged or bumped. The pads
look
> okay. Register key has cork. I don't find any obvious leaks. (The
> articulated C#/G# is sticking for some reason, but that shouldn't matter,
> since the key is closed for all the notes in question. I just noted that
> last Thursday, and figured I'd include it as a datum, just in case.)
>
> When I start warm up, throat Bb is in tune, A is very flat, Ab is very
flat,
> G is in tune. Usual warmup drills. Warmed up, throat Bb is in tune, A is
> very sharp, Ab is very sharp, G is in tune.
>
> When I say "very" I don't mean that I can't lip it up or down, but
certainly
> shouldn't have to. I've never had to before. I've tried a couple of
other
> mouthpieces that I don't really like, just to compare, and the same
problem
> exists.
>
> I haven't tried them yet, but I bought a bag of pipe cleaners today.
> Anybody else got a suggestion of what would make such a sudden change???
>
> Jim Hobby
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>

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