Klarinet Archive - Posting 000031.txt from 2007/03

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] sudden intonation change
Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2007 19:19:29 -0500

See if humidifying the case (Damp-its, orange peels, or whatever moisture
source you prefer) helps before you go any deeper into finding a solution to
your problem.

We'd had an exceptionally mild winter here in the Philadelphia area until
temperatures took a sudden, extreme nosedive in early February. I hadn't
bothered to worry about humidity because it really hadn't been necessary.
Then, when the cold snap hit, I started to notice loose rings but delayed a
couple of days in doing anything about them. One night I noticed during a
rehearsal that I couldn't get to where I felt in tune. Must be the rest of
the orchestra! I found I was so sharp that I ended up having to pull my
barrel out a good millimeter (actually ended up putting in the thickest of a
new set of tuning rings I had just bought). It was bizarre. Normally I'm in
tune on that clarinet with the barrel barely out a crack. It wasn't the
mouthpiece - I'd been playing on a new one I'd just gotten, but my first
attempt at solving the problem (unsuccessful, as it turned out) was to
switch back to the mouthpiece I'd been playing on for several months. Once I
got home that night I started humidifying the inside of my clarinet case and
the problem just seemed to go away.

The instrument that I was using is 35 years old - I can imagine a new
instrument reacting perhaps even more to a sudden change in
temperature/humidity. Of course, there could be other causes (I'm not even
certain low humidity caused *my* problem, but increasing the humidity seemed
to fix it), but a Damp-it or a few slices of orange peel are as inexpensive
as you can get for a first try at a solution.

Karl

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Howard Shertzer [mailto:shertzhg@-----.edu]
> Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2007 1:51 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] sudden intonation change
>
> Dear klarinetists,
>
> In January this year, I purchased a new Patricola Eb clarinet from WWBW.
> When I tested the instrument , the intonation was quite good (for an Eb).
> Over the last month, the throat tones (G, Ab, A, Bb) have suddenly and
> mysteriously gone WAY sharp (almost a quarter tone).
> This is a sudden change (F is right on, as is B natural).
> I am playing a Grabner Eb mouthpiece, but it is the same with a Selmer C*
> or
> Pomarico, so I dont think it is a mouthpiece issue.
>
> I wonder if anyone could give me any clues or recommendations of what
> could
> have happened.
> Is there anything I can do?
>
> I love the response, tone, feel, solidness, and everything else about the
> horn. I would love to solve this problem.
>
> Thanks for any help or advice.
>
> Regards,
>
> Howard
> Email shertzhg@-----.edu
>
>
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