Klarinet Archive - Posting 000235.txt from 2004/09
From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Thoughts on a sharp note
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 11:23:20 -0400
Many clarinets suffer from sharpness in the lower chalumeaux register. The
low A is often the sharpest of these notes.
For many clarinets, it is necessary to pull out at the middle joint to help
bring these down a little. On my older Buffet R-13 Bb, I devised a "tuning
ring" for the tenon socket and a "spacer" for the tenon, of slightly under 1 mm
each, and just leave these in place all the time.
Any attempts to tune the lower register must take into account the other
notes that vent through that tone hole. In the case of the low A, you must also
take into account the tuning of the fourth space E, and the C# above that.
Unfortunately, you will sometimes find that while the low A is sharp, the
fourth space E is just fine. Any attempt to lower the A by altering the tone
hole, will also effect the E. If the A is particularly bad, splitting the
difference is not a completely bad idea, as long as you know you will need to
adjust the E up while playing. If your E is already flat - well, you are hosed.
If you are in a situation where you need to lower the A and have some leeway
with the E, here is an easy way to do it, with materials you probably have
at hand:
Cut several very small narrow strips of black electrical tape (I had a
teacher once who used cloth surgical tape - tuning tape that he put in tone holes
could still be inplace 20 years later!)and apply them one by one to the upper
section of the tone hole (the one that third finger R.H. covers). Cut the
strips so that they cover half the circumference of the tonehole. Make them
narrow enough so that they don't protrude into the bore. Apply them one at a
time, testing with a tuner after applying each one.
This lowers the pitch by, in effect, LOWERING the tone hole by the width of
the strip, and by making the tone hole smaller in diameter. Be aware that you
WILL be altering the tone of that note as well, making it less robust, or
more fuzzy, as the case may be. One strip will make little difference, three or
more will start to effect the tone. Here again is a trade-off area.
If you have a very sharp lower register and have slightly FLAT 12ths above,
the only cure is modification of the bore of the instrument. This is very
tricky business and I can think of only two or three people in North America
that I would recommend for such work.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetXpress.com
World-class clarinet mouthpieces
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