 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kenb
Date: 2008-08-05 00:27
I want to raise the upper clarion fork Bb a fraction on a Wurlitzer RB. Because of the profile of the undercutting, working just on the 'north' side of the tone hole would be awkward. I'm wondering if a slight enlargement of the circumference of the tone hole chimney (an insert) would do the trick. The 'e' which vents from the same tone hole is flat, its 12th 'b' a little sharp, (but not as sharp as the 'b' on the A clarinet, which I'm used to voicing down).
(I flagged Chris P in the subject line as he's mentioned working on German instruments, but all contributions welcome!)
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-08-05 03:27
I assume this is a 7 ring since you wrote 'fork'?
The tiny hole between the middle and ring finger holes could be enlarged and that would bring the fork Bb up; the B and C might come up a little. Making the chimney bigger would do the same thing but would affect the B and C more.
Post Edited (2008-08-05 03:47)
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Author: kenb
Date: 2008-08-05 07:04
Thanks skygardener. 7 rings, but Reform Boehm - no small vent open in the vicinity; it's just 'X O X'
Post Edited (2008-08-05 11:52)
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-08-05 07:22
I have seen the small vent hole is on 'Full Boehms'- I assumed that the RB also had them. So this means there is no fork low Eb, right?
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You say that the E is also flat. Making the middle finger chimney bigger will not raise it that much. That note can be best fixed by enlarging the hole under the pad. Sadly, that will raise the high B and C a lot and yours are already high. :(
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-08-05 09:41
Hi Ken,
Enlarging the LH2 chimney tonehole will raise the pitch of the forked Bb, but if you sharpen the E by enlarging the E vent (the small tonehole between LH 1 and 2), you will then have a painfully sharp top B.
Undercutting or tapering the relevant tonehole may help, but this is something of a black art and David Spiegelthal is the best man to speak to about this as he has far more experience in this area. I personally wouldn't want to advise you to do anything that could ultimately screw up the tuning on what is a rather special instrument.
Strange that German bore instruments tend to play sharper in the upper register where Boehms tend to do the opposite.
Calling David Spiegelthal!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-08-05 09:46
I agree with Chris P here. Especially as the fork Bb is not a "standard" fingering that you really need on tap 24/7.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-08-05 13:00
Forked Bb has a certain smoothness and a fuller tone quality that isn't replicated by the side Bb, and some arpeggios and passages are made far easier with the forked Bb than the side or long Bb.
Take the 'Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens' clarinet solo as an example (9th to 16th bars of the solo) - with forked Bb this is so much easier and fluid than using the side Bb key.
On Reform Boehms they have no articulated G#, but instead have incorporated a much simpler and ingenious solution to the B-C#/F#-G# trill - play B/F# (xxx|oxo) and trill with LH3 only.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kenb
Date: 2008-08-05 20:31
Yes, I use the fork Bb all the time - for the tone quality - even in situations where it would be easier to use one of the alternatives.
Thanks all.
K
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