 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chalumeau Joe
Date: 2008-12-01 00:40
I have 2 clarinets: one Bb and one C. My problem is that when I play the C clarinet, I squeak terribly when playing clarion B and C (the C# is especially bad...sometimes I can hardly produce a sound; it's no different with alternate fingerings). It's a bit better with chalumeau E-F-F#, but it still squeaks.
I mention the Bb because I've been playing it for over 25 years and mastered crossing the break years ago. Never a squeak on this horn.
The C clarinet is fairly new to me, so I'm still getting used to it. I've had it checked for leaks and none were found.
So, what's going on? Is the cause likely me, or could it be an alignment problem? Other than this problem, the C clarinet is pretty free blowing and easy to play.
Any suggestions?
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2008-12-01 01:20
Not knowing what tech looked at it (and with all due respect), have you gotten a second opinion?
I assume you've tried different reeds... have you tried another mouthpiece?
Could also be that your fingers are ever so slightly not covering the holes.
If it was just the upper register, I'd say it's likely a symptom of "oh my, this is going to be a high bit" small-clarinet biting.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Chalumeau Joe
Date: 2008-12-01 02:12
No second opinion...good suggestion.
Yes, I've tried different reeds. On my Bb, I use a #3; on the C, I've found that softer is better...I'm using a #2. I have a C mouthpiece (Redwine); my M13 worked OK with it.
"Could also be that your fingers are ever so slightly not covering the holes."
I'm trying to pay attention to this...so far, I can't say I'm doing anything wrong here.
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2008-12-01 03:38
Have you tried checking for leaks on the horn? C clarinets I believe (don't own/never played one) have separable joints like common Bb's and A's so check for leaks maybe?
Post Edited (2008-12-01 03:41)
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Author: mrn
Date: 2008-12-01 15:37
I'm not saying this is what it is, but just to rule things out, try using a harder reed on the C and see if that helps. In the wintertime, when the air is drier, reeds start to play softer than normal, so your #2's might be playing more like #1.5's. In that case, it could be that your reeds are "closing off" (which would make it hard to make a sound--this happens with reeds that are too soft) and are also generally less stable because your reeds have "gone south" for the winter.
Also, since you are probably less used to the C than the Bb (I'm guessing), reed instabilities are probably more likely to cause you problems (like squeaks) with the C. For this reason, I had a terrible time the other day with my A clarinet wanting to squeak on certain already-somewhat-unstable notes (like clarion A) when my reeds started to go soft (I've only been playing A clarinet since March, compared to 20+ years of playing Bb). You might be having some of the same problems.
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Author: Chalumeau Joe
Date: 2008-12-01 23:56
Thanks to all. mrn's suggestion of going up in reed strength seems to help with the squeaks, even though it's much less free blowing. The C clarinet is something I'm not quite comfortable with...I thought it would have been an easier transition from Bb.
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Author: Brenda ★2017
Date: 2008-12-02 11:49
Besides checking for the problems detailed above, perhaps give more consideration to covering the holes more completely. When I started playing my C it took quite awhile to develop the finger memory needed to keep the fingers closer together than on the Bb. Now I can transfer from one to the other without problem, but it took playing the C almost exclusively for awhile, even for the warmup scales, just to get used to the feel of it.
Hope you find what works for you!
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2008-12-02 13:03
The fact that you're getting the squeaks in that particular part of the range, and that it's bad in clarion and less of a problem with the same fingerings in chalumeau, strongly suggests a slight leak. The chalumeau is more forgiving of slight leaks than the clarion. It's possible that the tech didn't find the leak because it's mechanical, not related to pad wear, and that he or she simply tested the pads one at a time (and judged correctly that there's nothing wrong with the pads). Make sure a technician checks how well the keys seat while you're in the act of playing the notes, and not just to see if you're inadvertently pressing on a key you don't want to touch or inompletely covering a hole. The tech should also test to make sure that all the keys work correctly in combination with each other: that the crow's foot is correctly aligned (hasn't gotten wrenched down on one side over time), that the cork hasn't worn down on the crow's foot, that none of the other bumper corks are excessively or unevenly worn down, that the packing (usually fishskin) to silence clicks in the left-hand side rods hasn't wadded itself up or otherwise moved to alter the alignment when used in combination with another key, that all the springs are strong enough but not too stiff, etc..
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
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