 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jerry
Date: 2004-01-11 21:39
The side B flat key on my fairly new R-13 seems unusually high, having a long travel distance to its "stopping point." This makes it difficult to achieve really clean transitions using this key in faster passages - and trills are not clean. My instructors' R-13 B flat key has 1/2 the travel and it was not modified. This one has nearly 3/4 inch of travel.
So, experimenting on a solution, I taped a piece of .3" thick piece of rubber to the underside of the key to reduce the travel and it works great - the transition to adjacent notes is much cleaner/easier, and the intonation is not affected. Based on this experiement, I will perform a permanent modification using much thicker cork (i.e. 5 times thicker) than was provided stock.
Obviously there is a high degree of variability on this key design between R-13 models over the years.
Does anyone else's instrument have "excessive" travel on this key? Isn't this a design faux pas?
Jerry
The Villages, FL
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2004-01-11 22:29
The height of the pad opening should be set at a height of about 1/3 the diameter of the tone hole.
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Author: Jerry
Date: 2004-01-11 22:53
The "stock" setting was nearly twice that.
Jerry
The Villages, FL
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-01-12 00:18
Mine rises VERY high. Doesn't seem to be a problem with tuning or anything. It hasn't really bothered me though with trills or the like.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Jerry
Date: 2004-01-12 01:06
For those like myself who may bit a bit less precise with our fingering, reducing the height made a big difference in note to note cleanness.
Jerry
The Villages, FL
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-01-12 03:31
Vitas wrote
"The height of the pad opening should be set at a height of about 1/3 the diameter of the tone hole."
This is a fair sort of guide for instruments like sax and flute, which have large diameter, shallow tone holes, but I would give it too much weight for clarinets. Imagine how bad the throat Bb would be if this rule was applied to the register key. In my experience considerably more opening is often needed to avoid fuzziness in the tone.
The figure, as far as I know, comes from fluid flow theory applied to poppet valves, taking due regard for preventing induced turbulence from interferring with fluid flow.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-01-12 14:03
General key height can be set by theory, but the final adjustment always depends on how it plays. Set it to the minimum height that gives the notes in tune and matches the notes above and below. Obviously, you want to have the smallest possible amount of movement consistent with adequate venting.
You can also bend the key and adjust the cork thickness to make the height most convenient for your finger. I have it set almost exactly even, but a tiny bit below, the next higher trill key, but that's only my personal preference, based on what I got used to as a beginner.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2004-01-13 01:49
There is no general rule on pad height. It needs to be optimised by somebody that knows what they are doing, even then the player may prefer it another way.
It sounds like the instrument needs a thorough set up. Unfortunately retailers and wholesalers take very little care in this regard. The side Bb should be in an accessible position. If it is not, it is a warranty issue and the dealer should fix it. If as obvious a problem as this has slipped by them I would assume that no pre sale service has been done on this horn. It should have been as no instrument is guaranteed to work optimally straight out of the packaging. Instruments are packed with chocks etc. for shipping and these should be removed and adjustments made before they are sold.
I would be wary of doing any work yourself to an instrument under warranty as it may void it. If it is not under warranty get a service done by a woodwind specialist with special attention to key heights and voicing. It is not expensive but will make the world of difference to its playing.
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Author: SaraSoda
Date: 2004-01-13 05:13
i am currently using a selmer series 10 Bb clarinet. i am not sure if it is just the age of the clarinet (approx. 30 years) but i have noticed that my side Bb key is very low. i sometimes am unsure if i will hit it or not when i am playing. i recently played a buffet R13 and the side Bb key seemed to stand out a lot. i am not sure if that is just b/c i am used to my key being so low though.
[in the year 2000] when it is discovered that it takes exactly 437 licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop, it will be announced that science is officially over.
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-01-13 10:32
Gordon makes a very good point about the old key height theory- i've heard various "figure" given as scientific formulae for this (in conversation/clarinet mag etc) but experience would prove Gordon right here (ie one size does not fit all).
One thing that many repairers need to keep in mind is that "too open" is not necessarily any better than "too close". The height of the pad can be used to subtly manipulate the tone and pitch at different registers, admitedly usually some compromise is required. An example of this is the height the register key opening- past postings have expounded on this topic so i don't need to write about it here except to say that "more open" is certainly not considered desirable by many experienced musicians where this key is concerned.
donald
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2004-01-14 01:18
"The height of the pad opening should be set at a height of about 1/3 the diameter of the tone hole."
This is not a rule but rather reference point. Then, of course, the final adjustment is made. There are three basic shapes of pads used by technicians. 'Stepped' pads that overflow the EDGES of the key cup, regular pads (not 'stepped') and cork pads that are custom shaped (by technician) like a cone. USUALLY larger 'stepped' pad will require more opening (height of about 1/3 the diameter of the tone hole) than the smaller (not 'stepped') pad installed in the SAME key cup. Regular and cone shaped pads USUALLY will require LESS opening that the reference point.
I find that this reference point is a good way to describe the height of the pad opening especially for non-technicians or at least better than telling to the person 'there is no general rule on pad height. It needs to be optimized by somebody that knows what they are doing, even then the player may prefer it another way'
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