Klarinet Archive - Posting 000526.txt from 2003/12

From: Tony@-----.demon.co.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Undertone
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 12:22:47 -0500

On Mon, 29 Dec 2003 10:51:52 -0500, chalumeau@-----.net said:

> Another possibility which has been mentioned on "Klarinet" in the past is
> that undertones can sometimes be minimized or eliminated by reducing the
> space between the open register key pad and the tone hole. This should be
> no more than 1/16 inch (about 1.5 mm) according to previous suggestions.
> This has worked for me - I don't normally have the undertone problem and
> reducing the register key travel eliminated the problem on a "new"
> clarinet.

Yes. How that fits with the previous description is that it makes the
register key less able to function as an open hole, and so destabilises the
first mode of vibration. Though the undertone is still possible, it's both
flatter and more strangled. You can experiment by gradually shutting the
register key on an instrument that's normally set up (useful for the echotone
bit of the Crusell second concerto slow movement); and in the limit, of
course, when the register key shuts, the quality of the undertone suddenly
improves as its pitch becomes that of the lower register note. At that point
it's difficult to get the clarinet note at all.

I said in my first post that tongue movements are probably less important.
However, on getting out my clarinet to verify this, I find that I can go
between the clarinet note and the undertone with very little embouchure
variation, even though changing the embouchure slightly does help. It seems
that I lower my tongue to get the clarinet note, and raise it and move it
forward to get the undertone -- but it's more subtle than I can accurately
describe. Like what you do with your tongue when you whistle.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.demon.co.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE http://classicalplus.gmn.com/artists
tel/fax 01865 553339

... Things are not as bad as they seem - they're worse

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org