 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2014-11-18 18:57
I recently saw a comedic video shot by a clarinetist, mocking clarinetists.
In it, one scene features 2 clarinetists sitting opposite one another at a cafeteria (table), instruments in hand, and having a discussion.
After about every other sentence of dialogue (but no clarinet play), either actor would pick up their clarinet out of mock habit, open the C#/G# key, and blow into it to clear any trapped moisture.
Perhaps that's humor only a clarinetist could love.
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That said, science, as most of us clarinetists know all too well, has demonstrated that water is a byproduct of respiration. I suspect there's no shortage of good advice here on how to deal with the problems such moisture causes, via things like preventative and periodic swabbing, the use of drops of oil near the flooded key vent, and of course, the aforementioned and mocked "vent blow."
My question regards whether there is anything we can do to reduce the moisture we put into the clarinet in the first place. I tend to swallow excess saliva before putting lips to mouthpiece, although this probably has little bearing on the moisture content of my breath.
Now far be it for me to suggest or seek methods of compromsing the respiratory process. In fact, I understand that many acute poisons such as cyanide work by inteferring with the respiratory process. Suffice it to say that a little annoying moisture in my instrument is (literally) not worth dying over.
So--anyone have techniques of reducing the moisture that goes into the instrument in the first place, barring of course a suggestion championed by my family of simply "playing less?" (ha, ha)
If I may beat those to the comedic punch: yes, taking cyanide would definitely reduce the issues I have with moisture in my clarinet. Homeopathic options only please.: - )
Thanks.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2014-11-18 19:09
Most of it is condensation.
My observation over the decades is that the amount of water amount is correlated to the relative humidity and temperature, you can't do anything about how much water you condense inside the instrument.
I do run an old swab with bore oil on it through the instruments more frequently in the months where the humidity is higher, which seems to help keep it out of the tone holes. In the summer, around here anyway, its not an issue; in the summer months I can play for an hour and still have a dry instrument. Not so this time of year.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: marcia
Date: 2014-11-19 09:17
>I recently saw a comedic video shot by a clarinetist, mocking clarinetists.
Any chance of sharing it with us?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-11-19 12:02
As the Paul above states, this is NOT necessarily YOUR moisture but the AIR's moisture. Think about it. What we are doing is blowing air from our body (which is around 98.7 degrees fahrenheit) into a tiny enclosed space that is considerably colder than that. This heating of the the air inside the enclosed space causes the moisture in the air to collect upon the colder inside surface of the enclosed space.
If you truly want to lesson this affect you need to move to Arizona and do most of your playing outside, in the Summer.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2014-11-19 17:27
..could not find the video, although the ones on Youtube by Ryan Glass, on: "Stuff" Clarinet Players Say, explore the aforementioned "vent blow obsession" and other clarinetist stereotypes, all in humor.
NESFW: Not Entirely Safe For Work, some might think.
That's a classification of my own making sitting below NSFW in severity.
Enjoy, and remember, "slur 2 tongue 2." : -)
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