 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bethmhil
Date: 2013-05-19 02:47
Greetings!
Out of curiosity, is there a reason why altissimo F# is a particularly unstable note? I consistently have issues with it wanting to shift up to the next partial or even be in between the 5th partial & 7th partial, thus creating multiphonics... I know that F# is the note right before a natural break on the horn and could contribute to its instability. The surrounding notes (E, F, G, & G#) are much more stable than the F#.
I always add the RH fork key and Eb key, but the note is still sketchy. Is there anything else that can be done (fingerings, tapes, etc.)? Long F# is way too high in pitch on my horn and I can't switch to that fingering.
BMH
Illinois State University, BME and BM Performance
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2013-05-19 03:15
I use 1 and 2 of LH; and 1,2,3 and Eb/Ab Key of RH.
Pretty much a good fingering for most situations and stable as a rock.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-05-19 04:32
I can't give you a firm reason why it would be unstable - I don't really find it so. The problem with altissimo F#(6) for me is more often that it's flat. Some clarinet designs produce a more in tune F# than others. My guess at a cause of the flatness and whatever instability you feel is that the tone holes that are used to vent F#are probably too big for the purpose. Especially the 1st LH tone hole, which is used to vent the entire altissimo range (forcing a node in the air column which results in a fifth harmonic) is too large to be an ideal vent because it needs to be big enough to produce a clear F4 and C6, for which it's the primary tone hole. Paul's "closed" F# fingering works well but can be awkward in scale contexts. Another alternate that can be used is the standard side-key Bb5(Eb4) voiced to produce the next harmonic (squeak it).
Karl
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-05-19 04:45
To continue in the area of venting for the altissimo register, one way a lot of players use to give a better initial response to pretty much anything above C5 is to half-hole the 1st LH tone hole when the start an altissimo note. It reduces the size of the hole to provide better venting. If you keep the half-hole in place as you sustain those notes, if you aren't very careful you can flatten the pitch, but it might help stabilize your F#. Bass clarinets have the same thing built in with the vented covered hole. I'm not sure why that's not done on soprano clarinets except maybe a resulting pitch problem outweighs any response advantage.
Karl
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2013-05-19 05:45
Maybe I missed it in your post, but what fingering do you use for the F# that is unstable?
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2013-05-19 06:29
The overblown "side" Bb fingering is my absolutle favorite for high F#. Very stable at most dynamics and very well in tune.
TR xxo Bb/Eb | ooo Eb
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Author: scotch
Date: 2013-05-19 07:06
I'm afraid I don't understand what we mean by "unstable" here. Is an "unstable" note a note one can't sustain for long?
My altissimo F#, like my altissimo G, tends to be shrill and sound like a teapot, but then I've only been playing clarinet since late September of 2010 (I play other instruments). When I was new to these notes, it used to be a bit easier for me to play the G than the F#.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2013-05-19 07:40
Whenever I see unstable notes, I check for small leaks in pads above the note. For the clarinet, one can check for leaks with a cigarette paper feeler. A pad with a leak can be re-aligned.
In wooden clarinets, even new ones from the factory, chips in the tone holes or pores in the wood going into the side of the tonehole can be cause of a tiny leak. A good repair person can fix these leaks easily. This even happens in top quality instruments.
The advice from the other posters is great!
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2013-05-19 13:38
I agree, there is no good reason for that note to be unstable but it is always flat. I have several good fingerings on my website but the one I use most is over blowing the Eb-Bb side key fingering. L.H. first and second finger plus the lower side key. For big skips using the top side key or top two side keys works great depending on the intonation on your clarinet. Using the regular F# you discribed you pretty much have to use the fork key and pinky Eb to bring up the pitch. That's very common.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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