Klarinet Archive - Posting 000448.txt from 2004/08

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Water in tone holes'
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2004 16:53:08 -0400


In response to Mary Keffer's question, Bill Hausmann wrote,
>As was discussed on the list just recently
>(check the archives), an overly cool pit
>environment dramatically increases the rate
>of condensation in the bore and, subsequently,
>causes the havoc you are experiencing. You
>will probably just have to swab frequently to
>keep it under control. As you surmise, it is not
>"spit" at all, but water condensing out of your
>breath.

I'm an amateur, but fwiw, here's how I swab out excess moisture when I
don't want to interrupt playing to take off the mouthpiece. I bought one
of those notorious "Pad Saver" gadgets that clarinet and sax players
nickname, "Pad Wrecker." It's like a soft bottle brush without a handle,
or the Giant Pipe Cleaner from Mars. The manufacturer says to stick it up
the clarinet and leave it there while the clarinet is in the case, but
nobody with any sense does that, because little fluffy bits come off, stick
to the register key tube, gunk up the bore, etc.. Ignoring the
manufacturer's directions, I took some old flannel that's been washed
enough so that no more lint will come out of it (the tattered old flannel
shirt or nightgown that's destined to be cut up for dust rags anyway will
do fine) and sewed a long, rectangular piece into a tube like a giant
condom (sorry, but...) that fits *loosely* over the Pad Saver. I slipped
the flannel tube over the Pad Saver and sewed the open end shut. Now I've
got a bore swab that I can grab and use quickly from the bell upwards,
without taking off the mouthpiece and without leaving any crud behind.
It's important for the flannel to fit loosely so that the little fluffy
bits can move around freely inside. That way, the Pad Saver maneuvers
around the register tube easily and investigates the nooks and crannies of
the tone hole openings. However, the flannel shouldn't be loose enough to
bunch up.

Lelia Loban
http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/LeliaLoban
America can do better: Kerry and Edwards in 2004!

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