 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ctt489
Date: 2003-05-01 20:06
I was wondering if there is a correct way to swab the clarinet after use?
I had two different teachers tell me the way they do it, both use pure silk with a rubber weight to pull as do I (the Doctor Product's Black)
One said to turn upside down and pull from 'bell through barrel', another said pull from 'barrel through bell'. I've always pulled it from bell through barrel and I learned in teaching woodwinds this is the correct way. Any thoughts? Thanks
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-05-01 20:10
ctt489 wrote:
> I've
> always pulled it from bell through barrel and I learned in
> teaching woodwinds this is the correct way.
I don't believe there is a "correct" way (or perhaps 50% of the clarinetists I know are doing it wrong ...  )
Going from barrel to bell will perhaps make it easier to remove a stuck swab.
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Author: Redhedclrnetist
Date: 2003-05-01 20:24
Haha, this is from experience.
If you do it ''bell through barrel'', make sure you take off the mouthpiece first. Or you risk hitting it on something (...perhaps a chair...) if the swab gets stuck. That results in a broken mouthpiece, if you hit it with enough force. Boo hoo. Expensive mistake, I can tell you that much!
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Author: ctt489
Date: 2003-05-01 20:39
I never said pulling through mouthpiece... that's a very bad thing to do.
In fact it's been said you should never swab out a mouthpiece, just shake out the spit and put it away with ligature on loosly and a cap that has holes on top (so it doesn't rot).
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Author: marcia
Date: 2003-05-01 20:50
I was taught, by a pro, to swab from bell to barrel. I know there was a reason given at the time but I must confess, I don't remember now what is was. This person said, and I have heard same from other pros, that you should never swab the mouthpiece.
Marcia
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Author: John Noecker
Date: 2003-05-01 20:55
Hrm... I usually swap each of my pieces individually... first one way, then the other... Is this wrong? For me it seems to work fine... and I feel that I get rid of more excess moisture faster this way... But perhaps there is a reason why this is incorrect?
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-05-01 21:09
John,
Nothing wrong with that. I did it that way as well. But it is faster to swab the whole horn (sans mouthpiece), then dry out the sockets. Having a big, thirsty, good quality silk swab helps since you can actually soak up moisture instead of spreading it around with a little soggy swab.
As long as you dry it out and don't scratch the bore or get it stuck inside, there's no wrong way to do it.
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2003-05-01 21:21
I swab from bell to barrel. If you continually swab from barrel to bell, you will eventually rounden the inside edge the barrel. This creates a small 'hole' in the bore. Does this have a huge effect on the clarinet? I doubt it! :-)
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Author: Ray
Date: 2003-05-01 21:26
I suggest using a separate cloth for wiping out the sockets. That way you don't get cork grease on your swab and you will not deposit cork grease in the bore and tone holes the next time you dry your horn.
After you have wiped your sockets (with your swab) enough times the cork grease all over it will decrease its absorbency.
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Author: DezzaG
Date: 2003-05-01 21:27
Thurston suggests, barrel to bell as the water you are removing gets dragged towards the bottom and the larger tone holes which affect sound less....seems to make sense to me so I do it this way and so do all my students!
DezzaG
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-01 22:22
Mouthpiece to bell makes sense to me and chances are you will die or get another mp before a swabbed one wears enough to change anything. I just don't get the (excess) concern about swabbing the mp causing problems. Two above posters give the two good reasons for "top to bottom". But, as Mark says, there is no correct way per se. I use lintless computer screen wipes to dry the sockets. Happy swabbing.
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-05-02 00:52
I swab in the direction from bell to barrel on the assumption that the swab is more effective at the bell end of the clarinet if it has not been previously compressed in the barrel end.
It doesn't get stuck if I remember to pull it to the side away from the protrusion.
Ray makes an excellent suggestion about using a separate cloth for the joints to avoid getting wax in the bore.
Hans
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Author: Clarence
Date: 2003-05-02 01:32
I don't have a set way to swab a horn. Most of the time I take the mouthpiece off, turn the horn upside down and drop the weight in the bell. Then I swab from the other direction. I clean the sockets with the swab and swab the mouthpiece. Sometimes I start be takeing the horn apart first.
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-02 01:46
I usually take off the mpc, swab the mpc, then swab the horn from barrel to bell with a chamois swab. Way more absorbent than silk! I also dry the sockets with the same swab, but don't "scrape" around at them to get excess cork grease off. I do that every so often with another piece of cloth.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-05-02 02:18
I've always found dry natural chamois to be particularly unabsorbent, unlike itsw synthetic counterpart.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2003-05-02 11:30
The best reason to swab barrel to bell is that if your swab does get stuck it's easy to back it out by just pulling backwards. If it gets stuck from the other direction more than likely the swab will be inside the joint and it will be much more difficult to get out. Experience speaking!
WRT swabbing the mpc, my technique is to pull through the cork end and only pull until it starts getting tighter in the mpc bore. Then I back it out and wipe by hand the tip area. I believe as long as you don't swab aggressively on the edges (table, tip,..) there will be no damage.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: williamainsworth
Date: 2003-05-02 13:11
I used to swab out the sockets but I figured that I was removing a lot of the cork grease that way. Now I just tap out the excess moisture and it seems to be working for me. I am definitely not greasing the cork as much. I often wonder if a huge amount of time is being used up babying the instrument. I have a friend who played for years in a military band and he has a wooden clarinet that is many years old and he has never swabbed it out. He leaves it fully assembled for long periods of time and says that he has seen no deterioration. I will not go that far but I certainly think that the clarinet is a sturdier instrument than some players think.
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Author: William
Date: 2003-05-02 14:37
As if clarinetists do not have already enough to worry about---YIKES!!!!!!
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Author: wyatt
Date: 2003-05-02 18:11
do it both ways and you are correct 50% of the time.
bob gardner}ÜJ
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Author: VermontJM
Date: 2003-05-03 04:56
I am completely neurotic when it comes to the swabbing routine...
The clarinet it disassembled, then each part cleaned individually- barrel, upperjoint, lower joint, bell- in that order.
Barrel is swabbed MP to Bell, as is the upper joint and all the nooks and crannies wiped out.
Lower joint gets swabbed bell to MP (in my head this will prevent "tracks" from the swab and spit from forming in the lower joint-- does it work? Who knows?...) Bell is wiped out.
Mouthpiece just gets a quick wiping with no major cleaning- it get washed on occasion under a luke warm tap.
Needless to say, I am the last to leave the room after rehearsal. Always.
Jo
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Author: Sue
Date: 2003-05-03 18:29
I swab out my mp separately then swab from barrel to bell using a silk swab and then gently (to wisk away moisture not grease) run a small cut square of brawney paper towel around inside the joints on the point of my finger. I have tried using the silk swab for this part but for me it didn't seem to be absorbent enough.
Sue
Post Edited (2003-05-03 19:32)
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Author: Henry
Date: 2003-05-03 18:41
I do it pretty much like VermontJM, although I'm less dogmatic about the direction in which I swab each piece. I use the Doctor's black silk swab. (I don't know how that ever could get stuck in any of the joints!) I dry out and clean the sockets with a cotton handkerchief (does anyone remember those?). I also leave my case open for an hour or so after disassembly to let any remaining moisture evaporate, whenever that is practical. Are we overdoing it? It DOES take a long time to pack up! With my sax, things go a lot more quickly.
Henry
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-05-04 02:15
I use a silk swab from bell up ( explanation I was given was that this takes the water out the way it came instead of spreading it through the instrument), and artificial chamois pieces for sockets. Mouthpiece gets a wash weekly and a gentle drying with a "mouthpiece mouse". No problems so far.
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Author: cece29
Date: 2003-05-04 03:47
As I understand it, the proper way to swab out your clarinet is to first remove the mouthpiece, and then flip the clarinet upside down and swab from bell to barrel. This is to prevent wear on the bore. As condensation travels down the bore, it makes a path in that direction. If you continue to swab in that direction then you may cause undue wear and tear on the bore. In addition, swabbing in the opposite direction of the travelling condensation will absorb more moisture with each swipe. Just make certain that you remove excess moisture from the portions of the clarinet that fit together. Leaving moisture at these junctures can cause all sorts of problems. The wood at the end of the joints is exposed and condensation can cause you clarinet to crack over time. As a side note: never sab your mouthpiece out. Over time, you may wear away a portion of the rails and it will effect the quality of your mp.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-05-04 03:59
cece29 wrote:
> This is to prevent wear on the bore.
I've used 300 and 600 grit sandpaper on grenadilla wood - it takes a lot of work just to remove a couple of thousandths of an inch worth of wood. I wouldn't be worried about a swab.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2003-05-04 17:16
One very important issue no matter what else is part of your swabbing technique is to make sure that the swab is not balled up or bunched up when it enters the clarinet. The stuck swab problem most commonly occurs when no attention is paid to this detail.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-05 15:55
For some who may still be confused there are hankkerchief type swabs and there are those semi-rigid ones with twisted wire running down the center.
It's hard for me to imagine a silk handkerchief type ever getting stuck but I've had cotton ones do it.
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Author: William
Date: 2003-05-06 14:36
Now, what about the bass??? My preferred technique (on my low C Buffet) is to remove the bell and neck and swab the two middle sections as one from the bottm up. I then swab the neck separately with a regular hankchief clar swab. (and wipe the section sockets dry as well)
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2003-05-06 16:36
Hi,
The whole idea of swabbing the clarinet after playing is to remove accumulated moisture. Being the mouthpiece end gets the wettest; you should run the swab from the dryer end (bell) to and out of the wet end (barrel). Doing it the other way would spread the moisture through the clarinet. Think of it as paint running down inside the bore. Which way would you go to remove it without smearing it all over?
Best Regards
Mark
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-05-06 16:43
Mark P. Jasuta wrote:
> Hi,
> The whole idea of swabbing the clarinet after playing is to
> remove accumulated moisture.
You'd think so, but a very well known player and more than one technician have said more to the lines of "it's more to spread the moisture out very evenly in the bore so it will dry out quickly".
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-05-07 01:51
If that is right Mark, perhaps the even distribution of moisture allows an even expansion and shrinkage, less likely to cause cracking??
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-05-07 02:01
After I've been playing for a while, I'd say both ends of my clarinet are equally as wet, considering there's often moisture dripping out of my bell . . . I guess I can't lose either way! ![[happy]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley12.gif)
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Author: Mark P. Jasuta
Date: 2003-05-07 15:20
Hi,
Drying time is affected by 5 things, humidity, air movement /exchange, temperature, surface area, and of course the amount of moisture that needs to evaporate. Through swabbing, clarinet players control 2 of these, the amount of moisture left behind after swabbing, and the surface area that is damp or wet, which varies player to player. I feel through experience, that removing more moisture speeds drying more than removing less and spreading the rest. Why? Well, once you are done the clarinet goes into a low volume case. The remaining moisture from the clarinet and what is in the swab will raise the humidity inside the case (which is closed by now) slowing down the drying process. Therefore, I feel it is best to begin with less moisture. That being said, it is best to swab from the dryer end (bell) to the wetter end (the barrel, for most players).
Best Regards to All
Mark
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Author: Phat Cat
Date: 2003-05-08 20:58
Quote from Selmer's web site:
"Of course, the inside of the instrument will be wiped by
passing the swab from the bell towards the top by
pulling gently on the piece of string."
Quote from Buffet's web site:
"Note: Pass a swab through the barrel towards the bell. Otherwise, it can be caught by a tube protruding inwardly in the upper part of the top joint."
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Author: jungle_jazz
Date: 2003-05-09 01:50
DO NOT PULL THE SWAB THROUGH YOUR MOUTHPIECE...if you love it you won't do that to it. You'll scratch the surface of the bore on your mouthpiece. If you desire to clean it, then rinse it in cold water, hot water turns them to green. I don't know that they turn green from experience, but better safe than sorry.
[ Accounts without valid email addresses are suspended. Please contact me if you want to post again. Mark C. ]
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-09 12:42
Leaving your wet swab inside the clarinet case can contribute to tarnishing of the keywork and rusting of the springs. Store it outside the case until it's dry or hang it around your neck.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2003-05-09 15:41
BobD:
What's the difference between a wet swab & a humidifier in a case? They both add humidity to the case & hopefully will help prevent cracking of your lovely wooden instrument.
JungleJazz:
Do you have experience with swabs destroying the bore of mpcs or are you just repeating what every one has told you? I personally believe that in the grand scheme of things swabbing a mpc is one of the less imposing things you can do. Think about it - if you don't swab, how do you clean the inner surfaces immediately after a rehearsal or concert? Do you just throw it in the case until you can get to a sink? What about all the mineralization that occurs from the various components of your saliva? Compared with leaving it in the case with moisture all over the inner surface, I think the swab would be much better.
I'd also be willing to bet that just about everyone on this BB slides their reeds into place on their mpc. Just think of the damage that those harsh wood fibers do to the table of a hard rubber mouthpiece. Wood fibers can do serious damage to the finest glass - imagine what it could do to rubber. I would bet that that would cause more damage to a mpc than any swab would cause.
These are just musings, questioning the rational behind your statement. I have no scientific proof for either of these statements. But that's no different than your statement. I personally will continue swabbing my mpc, being careful to not treat it too harshly.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-05-10 23:17
Matt: Humidifiers per se are usually placed so that the moist element is not touching the keys whereas it's easy to just throw a wet swab in the case with it touching the keys etc. Not placing a wet swab in the case is just a prudent practice......IMHO.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2003-05-12 12:08
BobD:
I had never considered just throwing my swab into my case. That's why cases come with compartments. I expect that you are correct in that a swab laid directly on the instrument would not be a good thing.
MOO,
Matt
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Author: Avie
Date: 2003-05-12 13:53
I swab from the bell up thru the mp being careful not to pull the swab tightly thru the mp by twisting and helping the swab thru gently. How much time would it take to wear out the mp even if we were not careful? If the swab is too tight you can remove a little off the swab until you get a slip fit. I do get worried when the swab gets hung up on the obstructions in the upper joint and have to yank the swab thru. Where is the mp damage done? In the bore , the tip, or the edges? I have never seen a mp worn out for this reason. If there was any evidence of this happening I would gladly remove and attach the mp which is about a half dozen times at every playing session. I wouldnt think it matters which direction you swab in if you remove the mp. If you do remove the mp you still have to swab it out with something.
Post Edited (2003-05-12 22:46)
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