 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: James
Date: 2003-01-09 23:33
My G/D on my clarinet is about 15 cents sharp compared to the rest of the scale on my horn. Do you think theres a risk that it could destroy the resonance in that note by messing with that? I was cautioned against it by one person and the opposte by another. What do you all think?
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Author: Synonymous Botch...
Date: 2003-01-09 23:44
Are these both above the staff?
Just these are problematic?
Does any additional RH fingering help flatten pitch?
Have you experimented with pad height settings?
(Tone hole adjustments are best handled by someone with experience... Dave Spiegelthal is a Woodwind regular that has a good recorde with this sort of thing - perhaps you should poll him and John Butler directly.)
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Author: William
Date: 2003-01-09 23:58
It's normal for that note--as well as F/C and E/B--to be sharp, especially in the clarion. The rememdy I use is to pull the bell a bit to lower those notes. Pulling any joint of the clarinet for tuning purposes does not harm the resonance.
Review of tuning proceedure: warm up the clarinet, then 1) tune open G--if sharp (normal), pull barrel joint; 2) check C/G--if sharp (less normal) pull middle joint; 3) check E/B--if sharp (normal) pull bell joint. The lowest E and F may wind up being a bit flat and in need of lipping up when played--also normal for many brands of clarinet. If you use a longer barrel (66 or 67 mm, ex), you may have to pull the middle and bell joints while leaving the barrel joint closed. Good luck!!!!
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Author: James
Date: 2003-01-10 00:30
I am pretty much fine. I do pull out at the middle. this doesn't help G/D. It tends to just stick out. Well I mean, I am in chicago, we have the brannens and Rick sayre. I was just curious.
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Author: Burt
Date: 2003-01-10 01:11
I assume you mean G below the staff and fourth-line D. If you're willing to do some mechanical work, here's a way:
Remove the key used for F/C.
Add some material at the top (closest to mouthpiece) edge of hole. I use something used to stick pictures onto a wall (bought at Office Max), but some people use electrical tape. Just be sure it's something which is removable.
Add or subtract material until you are satisfied with the pitch.
Replace the key.
I've used this technique at the top end of the upper joint. The hole you will be dealing with is much larger, so you may have to close the hole by 1/8" or so.
The principle is that, by working on the highest (closest to mouthpiece) open hole, you are making the air column longer, hence the note gets flatter.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2003-01-10 01:22
Black fingernail polish is useable as a tuning adjustment liquid to put in holes that are too large. Small pieces of sheet cork are also used on the side walls of the hole. If the G is too flat and the D is normal, one can undercut the hole which will only raise the G and not the D. Good luck!
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Author: classifan
Date: 2003-01-10 02:06
Hi, you should try this to flatten the lower clarion notes. What I do is experiment with the pad height of the register key. When you bring this pad really close to the hole (like 1 mm or less) the twelfth from the fundamental note becomes in tune. This solves the upper clarion C and B as well. And the throat Bb will be very in tune as well according to my experiences. I have the R-13 clarinet and found that this usually solves tuning problems for most R-13s. I have to pull a little in the middle joint to get my clarinet "perfect" in tune at A440. Use a tuner to see how this affects the intonation. Pulling at the bell is not the best idea cause then the low E and F becomes more flat and those notes are already flat to begin with. Once you have decided on a pad height of the register key that is optimal tuning wise, you can either bend the key yourself, if you have to tools and know how to, or have a technician adjust that key. It really worked miracles for my clarinet. Messing with toneholes are too dangerous for non-technicians. Don't ever try it.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-01-10 05:05
Adding stuff to reduce the size of tone holes is quite safe, providing it is removable - nail polish and even PVA comes off quite easily - and you do not damage the tone hole edge while trimming cork etc.
Reducing the opening of the register pad will most likely make the throat Bb more stuffy, and it will definitely have no effect on the G that you are trying to flatten.
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Author: classifan
Date: 2003-01-10 13:51
Sorry, i made a mistake on my post. Lowering register key pad height WILL NOT affect the fundamental notes. Try lowering the pad height of the G/B key. Tt should make the note flatter, but the note more stuffy. Everything is a compromise.
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Author: Ken
Date: 2003-01-10 21:08
The clarion G and D naturals generally run sharp to begin with ... 15 cents is pretty common. Have you tried lipping down and/or alternate fingerings (the D would be tough) first to save the nickel on the repairs?
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Author: James
Date: 2003-01-11 02:21
Theres NOTHING i can do to really bring it down to fit the scale with out distoring tone. It really tends to stand out. Especially in Weber 2's 2nd mvt. I need to do something.
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Author: Ken
Date: 2003-01-11 03:45
James, I grew up in Palatine and got my MM from Northwestern in a different age. My guess is there's nothing mechanically wrong with your horn and you just need to adjust on-the-spot and deal with it. Run it over to Bill and Linda in Evanston if you're not convinced.
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Author: classifan
Date: 2003-01-11 16:22
Well you can blame your clarinet maker for this. hehe
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