 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-24 00:39
I am in my town band and in the summer, we have concerts, MOSTLY outdoors. in the past I have played the wooden clarinet outside (though during marching season I do get my old plastic bundy). I was just wondering- in the SUMMER (i.e. temps of between 50-90, depending...I live in CT, so ya never know!) is this okay, or should I avoid playing outdoors?
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-02-24 01:21
I personally would play it safe and use a plastic clarinet if I had one. I (stupidly) used my Buffet E & S K-series (a great horn) for EVERYTHING throughout HS. But I was an idiot then. I'm less of one now.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: diz
Date: 2005-02-24 02:47
Sorry but my Selmer survived wonderfully the full rigors of Sydney's hot and humid summer climate whilst I was in highschool band. Mind you, I did not leave it lying around in the sun.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-02-24 13:15
Play the plastic horn because: 1. You don't sound very good outside anyway and 2. In case of rain you don't have to worry
Bob Draznik
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Author: music_is_life
Date: 2005-02-24 20:50
"2. In case of rain you don't have to worry"
ah yes, I had one bad incident with that- at the graduation ceremony, during my sophomore year, it started to rain and I ripped off my shirt (no worries, I was waering two) to cover up my clar., then figured, "who cares about how bad this looks?" and ran inside. but besides the threat of rain I was wondering if playing outside provided and iminent threat to my clarinet- i.e. cracking unexpectedly or something...
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-02-24 20:54
Quote:
but besides the threat of rain I was wondering if playing outside provided and iminent threat to my clarinet- i.e. cracking unexpectedly or something... Like I said. Why take the risk? Sure you could end up like diz (poster above) and get away scott free with it. Hell, I got away scott free with my Buffet E & S wooden horn outside for four years without knowing what I was doing.
But nowadays, I just wouldn't risk it.
The ONLY time I would risk it, is if I was getting paid more than enough to completely replace whatever horn I was using outside. And that's not gonna happen any time soon.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2005-02-24 21:19
I would think that the only time you would be in danger of having your instrument crack would be if there was a large temperature difference between the instrument and the environment or if your instrument is real cold and then you have it out in the midday sun absorbing heat.
Humidity changes shouldn't make any difference, at least for short periods (anything less than, say, a month). If they did, we would be hearing from people in dry climates telling us about horns cracking when they played them, thus subjecting the interior to a sudden 100% relative humidity situation.
I have an approximately 50-year-old wooden Leblanc bass clarinet that has been used outside numerous times under varying conditions. It has never cracked on me. I also play my Buffet 1193-2 in outdoor summer concerts without qualms. (I'll accept that some of you will consider me stupid and reckless.)
On the other hand,
(1) if you want to play it safe, play your plastic instrument outside, and
(2) I would definitely recommend that any high school or college student who is marching use a cheaper, plastic instrument for that purpose. There's too much opportunity for dropping it, falling on it or hitting it against something in these conditions. It would also be subjected to more severe temperature differences, such as having hot air blown through it while in sub-freezing weather.
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Author: William
Date: 2005-02-25 15:01
During the summer season here in Wisconsin (USA), I play a lot of out of doors concert events within temp ranges of 55 F on upward, in the direct sunlight as well as shade. And I have always used my best instruments without suffering any weather related damge. That includes my R13s, my LeBlanc Concertos and my new Prestige low C bass--basically all of my pro level wood clarinets. Tuning is often a "real trip" but so far--35 yrs and counting--no cracks or other damage due to environmental situations. Of course, I am ultra cafeful and refuse to play in any form of precipatation--rain, mist, etc.--or colder temps where a coat would be required. (it is amazing the weather conditions some conductors will expect one to play in)
It is my (perhaps controversial) opinion that wooden clarinets are more durable than many (sometimes overly sensitinve) clarinetists think and that the probability of crackage due to moderate temperature fluctuation is minimal at best. I also think that if a clarinet is going to crack, it will--no matter how carefully it is handled or protected from the "elements".
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Author: Shorthand
Date: 2005-02-25 16:54
If it were cold and dry out - I'd say no. But for a outdoor concert, unless there's a chance of rain in the forecast, go ahead an use your good horn IMO.
I and my colleagues in the Austin Symphonic Band (www.asband.org) go ahead and play on our good horns in the Texas summer. We do about 5 outdoor concerts every summer, including 3 4th of July (6 a year).
Remember, your clarinet gets vaulted from cold and dry to hot and humid every time you play it. While its a little more extreme outside, its nothing that out of the ordinary. On the good side, you can get one last good playing out of that reed on its last legs, and condensation in the horn is really almost negligible.
I'd want the Doctor's opinion on this, but I'd think that your horn abosorbs less water when its 90F outside and 50% RH than inside at 70F and 30%RH and your breath is condensing inside the horn.
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