 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Jim
Date: 2002-07-17 00:33
My teacher said today that I should take my brand new E13 clarinet and have the keys lowered? What I understand her to mean is to have the rings over the finger holes adjusted so they are closer to the holes?
I do trust her suggestions, but would still like some feed back on this. <g>
Anyone else recommend or oppose it? Pro's and cons of doing it?
On a side note..... lesson's are going good. Am trying to practice at least 2 hrs a day, and am still enjoying the heck out it.
Jim
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Wes
Date: 2002-07-17 02:47
Many clarinets have the rings set too high in the factory for comfortable playing. Buffet has been especially guilty of too high rings. Good luck.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-07-17 03:45
Don't have them lowered too much, each stack has a pad that must vent sufficiently to achieve good tuning and tone-clarity!! Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2002-07-17 05:56
Pros: It'll feel better.
Cons: None that I'm aware of.
Your teacher probably feels that by adjusting the rings your fingering technique will continue to improve; she likely wants to correct something that might hinder that. Manufacturing techniques these days don't allow for fine tuning at the factory level.
E 13s are nice horns but your local music store's tech often has to take care of final adjustments after delivery. It should be adjusted to your touch anyway at no charge since it's a new instrument. Sounds like you're doing very well and she wants you to progress, not stress.
I don't know of any Cons if, as Don suggests, your tech doesn't lower them too much.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Cindy
Date: 2002-07-17 06:23
I had to do that because the height of the keys was making me have incorrect playing technique, and I actually injured my hand because of it. Once they were lowered, there was an amazing difference. It really helped technique too. Mine is an extreme case of course.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-07-17 13:25
Key height could refer to either how far the keys open, or how far the rings are above the tone holes when the keys are closed.
Don is right. If they are too low (when they are open) you will get fuzzy sounding notes, especially with a hard reed.
The problem is usually the other way around - too little venting.
However your teacher may be referring to the height of the rings above the tone holes when the keys are actually pressed DOWN. I consider that about 1/2 mm is ideal. For models with larger diameter rings, or players with dainty fingers, they may need to be higher. The finger needs to close the open hole at the same time as the finger contact on the ring closes the pad over its hole.
It should take an able technician less than 5 minutes to make this adjustment for all the ring keys if there are no complications such as inappropriate pads or pad installation.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-07-17 14:36
A tweaking trick from Francois Kloc:
The C#/G# key (for the left little finger) is almost always set with too little venting. The "sweet spot" is where you can play the notes from low E up through low Bb, open the key and get a multiphonic.
He did this on my R-13 A clarinet, and it made a big difference.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Todd W.
Date: 2002-07-17 16:39
Ken --
Just as a clarification for me, do you mean play low E, open the C#/G# key and get a multiphonic; then play low F, open the C#/G# key and get a multiphonic; then play low F#, open the C#/G# key and get a multiphonic; and so forth up through low Bb?
Great tip! I'll try that tonight.
Todd W.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jim
Date: 2002-07-18 01:30
Thanks for the feedback. Will probably go ahead and have the work done.
Jim
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Miklos Brabec
Date: 2002-07-18 12:33
Be careful of flattening of pitch of adjacent notes below the lowered pads. Once a good freind of mine in the Prague state opera orchestra had this done to his set of clarinets, his pitch dropped below what was acceptable....he then returned to the repairman,- and had the keys raised somewhat. MB>>>>>>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
