 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2008-12-01 00:46
A retired friend of mine, a music-loving non-musician with a strong background as a machinist, has been tinkering with clarinets. He's done some reading and experimenting, and he's gotton to where he can replace pads & corks and springs well enough. He buys instruments cheaply on Ebay etc., has me evaluate them, then he works on them, and I evaluate them again. The goal is to improve them to usability for school-age clarinettists.
One clarinet he got for $40 is a wooden Kestler, Model 990. It sounds well throughout, it's clean, there are no leaks, and the keys all seem well. It looks (and may be) new. The problem is that its tuning is all over the place. Not only are some registers off from others, with the throat tones sharper than either the clarion or the low notes, but quite a few individual notes are out one way or the other. Some are 10-cents out, some 20.
I'm aware of some of the strategies and techniques for putting a clarinet in tune. For example, Clark Fobes has a good primer at http://www.clarkwfobes.com/Tuning%20article/Tuning%20the%20Clarinet%20for%20PS.htm.
Before going forward, however, a question: How good does the intonation need to be? How much out of tune might a typical high-school band director or player tolerate?
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Author: William
Date: 2008-12-01 14:18
Tom Ridenour told me that "within 2 cents" is "acceptable" intonation for any note on your clarinet.
Post Edited (2008-12-01 14:19)
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2008-12-01 14:47
Ridenour's standards are clearly higher than mine --- and are practically unattainable for most players on nearly all clarinets! I guarantee that there are very few instruments out there that are +/- 2 cents on EVERY note (especially the low chalumeau, and high clarion), REPEATABLY, for even a very good player.
More realistically, I'd suggest +/- 5 cents everywhere except the low chalumeau E and F, where up to 10 cents flat seems to be typical (though I won't suggest it's acceptable!).
My two cents' worth (pun intended).
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Author: cxgreen48
Date: 2008-12-01 19:28
Wow, if Ridenour's clarinets are like that, I want one!
I know my clarinet isn't +/- 5 cents everywhere... I guess it doesn't have "acceptable intonation"
Other than the flat low E and F, aren't the throat tones supposed to be typically sharp as well?
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Author: malanr
Date: 2008-12-01 20:29
5 is what we used in orchestra and symphonic.
I must be one of the lucky ones, my clarinet plays all notes within a half cent up and down.
lucky me!
Just another muscian
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2008-12-01 20:30
Peter Eaton's clarinets are generally within 5 cents, apart from the usual suspects.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2008-12-03 19:07
Intonation depends not only on the excellent inherent tuning of the instrument, but also on the player, and professionals will play in-tune or else.( In-tune is defined by the director. ) Boulez, Szell, etc......
richard smith
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