The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: fermata
Date: 2003-01-11 02:37
I have all-state competition tomorrow!....and I was practicing this evening and suddenly my reed would not work at all. So I tried another reed...my best one...it didn't work either and tried several other really good reeds that I depend on...none worked. I could play all of my notes fine except B and C....and low E (I have a b flat clarinet)...So now I think it's my clarinet that is not working. But no music stores or repair places are open at this time and the competition is early in the morning and no repair shops are open then either. What can I do? Is there a way I could try to fix it myself?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: chuck
Date: 2003-01-11 03:08
Could be a very simple adjustment of the crow foot. Can you call your teacher this evening? Also, check to see that the pad of the rh ring finger is making complete closure. Also, check to see that your middle rh finger is not impinging on the sliver key. Best of luck. Chuck
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sarah
Date: 2003-01-11 03:30
It might be the reeds. A couple weeks ago all of my reeds were suddenly horrible and and warped. I had to get all new ones except for one or to that were kind of alright.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Willie
Date: 2003-01-11 04:45
If you don't feel comfortable tweeking the crows foot yourself, try adding some small pieces of duct tape on it till it compesses the low E pad down enough to seal. This may help if you can't get it fixed in time for a performance. Keep a couple extra precut pieces handy on the side of your case or bell in case you have to add one at the last minute. I just had to do this for our last concert when I banged my contra into a stage prop just before a performance.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2003-01-11 13:06
This happened to me 10 mins before walking into an audition late last year. My c#/g# pad had swelled up about 3 times bigger than it should be and there was a huge air leak as a result. I couldn't get alot of notes to speak so I had to borrow someone elses A clarinet at the last minute. Perhaps if you can fix it yourself you could borrow someones clarinet? It may be your only option. Hope it turns out ok
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-01-12 01:49
There are many and varied possible causes, sloppy pivot, bent key, swollen pad, misaligned pad, failure of linkage material, loose post, twisted post, ......
And this is the trickiest area of a standard clarinet for even a technician to get right. Unless you can do a lot of analysing of the problem yourself, you may as well focus your attention on borrowing an instrumnet that works.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-01-12 22:31
Reason number one to have a "Combat" Clarinet. A spare is great to have around. (Reason number two is, of course, that you do not want to play your best wood instrument out of doors or in other questionable environments, especially in inclement weather).
And unless you are *very* knowledgeable about how things are supposed to work, please don't try to adjust the crow's foot. A crow's foot is not the sort of thing to be okay for years and then all of a sudden quit working. I'd bet on something else, maybe even a loose pad.
Regards,
Joh
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Brittany
Date: 2003-01-14 14:26
It might be the weather changes and such, depending on where you live. Take your clarinet out of the case, put it back together. Sometimes, depending on how much of a hurry I am in, I put my clarinet together too fast and such. So, try it again! Good luck! I hope that it will work out good!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
|