 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2019-01-03 20:23
i picked up a Yamaha ycl250 plastic Horn @ a local Pawn Shop
It was well cared for but needed a little work.
With that done and my VanDoren M13 Mp this Clarinet sounds excellent with very good volume.
it came with a 65mm Barrel.
My local Community band seems to pitch at 440 which means all of my other Horns with 66mm Barrels are in tune ( at least on our Tuning note, which could be C or G).
I know I have only to pull out the 65mm barrel a little to be in tune .
That said though when I pull out can I expect any intonation problems with this YCL 250 when the Barrel is then pulled out?
I've got both a Backun Cocobolo Barrel as well as a Scott delrin barrel .
I could use either to play in the with the band, but I really feel the 65mm barrel that came with the Clarinet seems to sound the best
Post Edited (2019-01-03 22:25)
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2019-01-03 20:35
I'm not completely sure what you're asking. You have the instrument and should be able to test for yourself whether there are problems when you pull the barrel out (There shouldn't be any). No one can really answer that for you without testing the instrument as every instrument is unique.
Edit: I should also add that in general it is recommended to pull out at the barrel to tune. Sometimes this can cause problems if the barrel is pulled out too much but generally it is not an issue. I would still recommend sitting in front of a tuner with the instrument and going over the whole range if you are still unsure. Every instrument is different.
-Jdbassplayer
Post Edited (2019-01-03 20:44)
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2019-01-03 22:42
Hey JD BassPlayer , with all do respect you are stating the obvious!
To be honest its a little tedious to to do this myself and if someone has experience with this plastic model I'l like to hear.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2019-01-03 22:59
I'm a little confused why it's not just easier to sit in front of a tuner and play the instrument and look for any out of tune notes. It's a good idea to do this anyway as it will tell you which notes have a tendency to be out of tune so you can compensate accordingly. Even if someone else has the same instrument there is no guarantee it is set up the same way with the same pad openings. On my Yamaha Advantage (same design as the 250) I have to use a 67mm barrel to play in tune, but apparently this is uncommon. With the stock barrel I have to pull out quite a bit, to the point where it creates problems. However other people don't have problems with the stock barrel which goes to show that each player/instrument is different.
If you don't already have a tuner you can get a tuner app on your phone. I found this super useful for checking my intonation. If you want to be super detailed you can even make an Excel sheet detailing how in tune every note is, although for a casual player this might be overkill.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-01-04 00:37
From what has been presented, I have to agree with "Jdbassplayer."
The issue of tuning is might be addressable on the global level regarding model only to a point. The individual horn you have is its own unique animal and should be treated as such.
You have though brought up an interesting point about barrel length. When Yamaha had to make a decision about which barrel length to supply with their CSG horns (about 10mm shorter than a typical Boehm), they had to go on the input of a certain pool of players. My experience with the Yamaha CSGs was that many players found the enclosed 56.2mm barrel played a bit too flat. I and others had to order the shortest 53.8mm barrel to get a more usable result from the horns.
Bottom line is that the barrel provided by the manufacturer may not be the right length for you and your circumstances (geographically dictated average temperatures; your embouchure, your reeds; style of play; etc)
Right now, for some reason beyond my ability to get to a cause, I require the use of 63mm barrels on my R13 (which came with a 66mm). I have been told that Frank Cohen is using a 62mm barrel on his R13s. There is no RIGHT length that covers all particular clarinets for all people.
Sitting down with a tuner is the best and only realistic way to figure out how you need to proceed.
That said, I see a lot of "student horns" that are set up to play high in anticipation of new, undisciplined embouchures.
.................Paul Aviles
Oh a P.S. As with mouthpieces INTONATION is paramount. If that's not good, there is no good sound..........period
Post Edited (2019-01-04 00:40)
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Author: William
Date: 2019-01-11 01:05
OK, Ill be "Captain Obvious" here, student clarinets like your Yamaha plastic are provided with barrels to play sharp because they are used in school bands that always play sharp. You can pull your mouthpiece to bring the general pitch down but if you want a continuous bore from mouthpiece to bell, you will need to buy a longer barrel. If that doesn't work, you may need to buy a shorter barrel to bring the pitch up.
And more breaking news....clarinets do not play in tune. I dont care if you play a plastic Selmer Bundy or a top line Buffet, it will not play in tune by itself. So, just because you are able to eventually match the general tuning pitch of your group, beyond that you will need to Play your clarinet in tune. Thats where a tuner is helpful because it will help you discover which notes are out of sync and need to be lipped in tune. We all do it.
Also, this advice from an old local musician....."It is better to play in tune than be in tune." Do not assume your clarinet is perfectly in tune just because you can match the tuning note....usually concert Bb for bands, A for orchestras. Good intonation is good coperation among all members of the ensemble. Listen and adjust as needed.
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2019-01-16 23:13
Ah, you remind me of the person I tried to explain intonation of major and minor chords to and the response was "I AM playing in tune and the tuner on my stand says so!"
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