 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wjk
Date: 2003-02-03 03:47
Could someone please elaborate the suggested "Break-in" procedure for a new clarinet (lets assume a pro-level wood clarinet.)"
Thanks!
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Author: kes
Date: 2003-02-03 03:59
Well, what I've found best is to play it. But, you should play it gradually. At first, not more than like 1/2 an hour a day. Then gradually play more, until after about a month, when it should be fully broken in and you can play gloriously on your brand new shiny clarinet for hours!
Lol...good luck! Just my advice...I'm not a professional tho...
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-02-03 11:18
I get suspicious with these break in articles.
1. They sometimes mention warming the instrument gradually (inside & out) before playing. Well I thought that grenadilla had very high dimensional stability with temperature changes, which would make temperature differentials not a problem. Perhaps I have been misled.
2. Have these theories of 'breaking in' (to prevent splitting) been scientifically tested. This would be quite easy to do, and probably has been by manufacturers. Is it the case then that these manufacturers emphasize in the instruction manual, a breaking in regime. I do not accept anecdotal examples of non-broken-in instruments cracking, because for every one of these there are many that did not crack.
3. The advisability for such breaking in must depend on many factors, such as how impervious to moisture absorption the manufacturer has made the surface of the timber, and what other treatment the timber may have had, including the use of moisture-buffering agents.
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Author: Jim Mougey
Date: 2003-02-03 12:26
Gordon (NZ): Had some long talks about this "breaking in" business last week at a Windjammers Unlimited meet. No one seemed to have a really great interest in this procedure except for the college folks. Seems as though most of the players couldn't remember having the time to break in the new horn for they were too busy playing. In my youth, we broke in new cars (45mph-50mph etc.) but I never knew about breaking in horns. I am rather dubious of the benefits. Two of the clarinetists were playing new LeBlanc Opus horns and they played them for 3 hours a day and weren't troubled be the length of time.
Jim(M)
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2003-02-03 14:37
I always thought it was a matter of humidity.
Since the horn is new and hasn't been played, you kind of want it to get it saturate it with the moisture from playing. Since doing this to fast my crack the wood you have to play the horn no more than an hour some say less the first week and then gradually increase the playing time.
I always broke in my horn (except the green line!) and never had one cracked on me, black magic or not, I'll keep doing it.
-S
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Author: Mark Sloss
Date: 2003-02-03 20:54
OK. First thing you do is soak the clarinet in water for 15 minutes a day, drying it bottom side up on a flat surface. Repeat this for about four or five days. Once it has stabilized, start playing on it for about 10 or 15 minutes per session. After a few days of that, take out your knife or sandpaper and start making adjustments until it sounds good. If it warps, throw it away and try a fresh one.
;->
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-02-04 12:30
"Breaking in" seems to refer to avoiding leaks supposedly caused by non-consistent moisture content through the timber wall. This topic is discussed above.
It seems also to refer to getting pads (usually the ones that are normally open) to seal properly. This type of break in means nothing other than that the instrument was never adjusted properly in the first place. It is the PLAYER that is "broken in" to push the offending keys harder.
Many clarinets, including my own, spend weeks or months not being played and then suddenly played hours per day in preparation for a concert. This is especially true for doublers. They are not broken in again every time. Breaking in possibly has little to do with whether an instrument splits or not, but we can imagine what we like.
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