 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ctt489
Date: 2003-04-29 22:49
Ever since I studied in college and to this day I have been in the habit of pulling out the bell about a fingure nail length. I think it helps give me a more free blowing open sound. At any rate does anyone else find this to be true? How about the middle joint and mouthpiece as well?
A teacher told me if using a Vandoren mouthpiece always pull out slightly. I did when I was playing a Vandoren, but don't on my Bay.
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Author: PJ
Date: 2003-04-30 03:32
I've only pulled out at any of the joints for tuning purposes. I have to pull the bell out a fuzz on my Bb because the clarion B natural is always sharp. I've never noticed that it makes the horn more open sounding or free blowing. Here's a question... If the above is true, wouldn't the A clarinet be more open sounding than the Bb? Every A that I've played on has been a more resistant than a Bb. I've never had the opportunity to play on a Bassetclarinet (though I'm dying to do so), so I can't offer an oppinion there.
I'me curoius to see what others say...
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Author: William
Date: 2003-04-30 15:04
Pulling the mouthpiece, barrel, middle and bell joints affect only the intonation of the various sections of the clarinet. Rotating the bell (or the barrel) changes the quality of sound and reponse--especially for the "long" B. This is done by small degrees until the best bell position is found. It may then be marked with pencil lead until you are sure it is the best, and later with typewriter Whiteout or some similar semipermanent marking, so that you always put the bell on at its potimum performance position.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2003-04-30 16:16
Actually it is not at all uncommon for a clarinet to be designed to require pulling out slightly when playing at a nominal room temperature of around 72°F. This way if you are playing in a very cool location, you have the opportunity to push in to get up to pitch.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-04-30 23:53
"Rotating the bell (or the barrel) changes the quality of sound and reponse"
I find this to be unbelievable, unless the tenon and socket are significantly non-concentric, yet the notion keeps being promoted in this forum.
Have you ever done a blind test, with somebody else doing the rotating for you?
We can convice ourselves of almost any unreality if we try hard enough!
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2003-05-01 01:58
Gordon.....it is true. In fact, supposedly after play testing, the trademark was placed in a position so that the optimal sound was produced when the label was in front*.......I did the test blindly and noted some difference in sound or response with changes in rotation for both the barrel and bell......Wood has a tendency to curve and distort. Joiners (and even habbyist woodworkers as I) know this and glue up boards with ring patterns arranged to compensate for this effect. Quarter sawn lumber will distort in one direction moreso than another.....and heartwood, is not without its faults......that is why the wood is aged in a controlled environment before working it. If you measure the finest barrel to .001 in. across bisecting diameters you will find differences.
Now is the difference perceivable to the average person? Probably not, but an experienced player might notice some variation in response or color.
* this practice might be too costly to perform nowadays.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2003-05-01 03:54
Good intonation is a must for a good musician.
Any section of the clarinet, or any instrument, you pull out to lower the pitch, can help you achieve better intonation, if you're sharp.
Professional players do generally pull out at the barrel, also often at the bell.
Most of us do not pull out at the mouthpiece, or the middle, between the top and bottom joints. On the many clarinets I have played and owned, on occasion, have pulled out elsewhere to help correct the pitch for a special solo or recording problems, but this is unusual.
A good rule of thumb is:
Pull the clarinet out wherever and whenever the music requires it; making the clarinet play in tune is your primary concern. There is no excuse for poor intonation.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-05-01 05:14
"I did the test blindly and noted some difference in sound or response with changes in rotation for both the barrel and bell"
I would be interested in just how blindly you did it. Did you START with the bell in a totally random position, then play with it in many positions, all changes made blind, all this many times, and find that the preferred position turned out to be the same every time?
If not, then I doubt that your test had any validity.
"In fact, supposedly after play testing, the trademark was placed in a position so that the optimal sound was produced when the label was in front"
Interesting that you use the words "in fact", and then "supposedly". I have heard this a number of times, but never heard it verified by anybody who actually worked in these factories. I am skeptical that this would have been done, and very skeptical that it is still done. I await convincing.
I fully appreciate the anaomolies of grain, especially where the bore is not concentric with the growth rings. However I think it is quite arguable whether grain has any effect on tone, and acousticians seem to agreee that the extremeloy minor effect could not be detected with the human ear.
Irregularities in the bore produced by non-concentric meetin of tuimber at joints would not exist in the factory, because these parts are concentric by the naof their manufacture. Non-concentricity could occur later as the timber distorts because of anomolies of the grain. However these 'interruptions' to the bore must be very minofr compared with the interuptions of tone holes, and the gap almost invariably between the end of a tenon and the base of its socket.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-05-01 05:47
Gordon, I'm concerned you soon may make disparaging remarks about the Tooth Fairy.
Regards,
John
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-05-01 14:09
LOL! I don't need to. My son well & truly sorted him/her out, and Santa Claus to boot, age 6. But still believes as required - there's a sort of relevant moral there re the clarinet issues.
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-01 20:08
Re: pulling out at the mouthpiece - I always pulled out at the mouthpiece when I played a K10M, but my current mpc, a Pete Fountain, doesn't require being pulled out. I found with the K10M that if I pulled a little at the mouthpiece and a little at the barrel it was more in tune (especially in the throat tones) than just pulling out at the barrel. Just some observations!
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