 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SaRaH18
Date: 2003-06-23 15:54
I'm just curious ...
Is there a general rule for all orchestras in the world to tune to the B note?
What if your clarinet is not made to tune?
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-06-23 16:28
Well if you mean concert A major, then I don't think it's a rule, it's just done. I know someone here can elaborate on WHY most orchestras tune to A. As for you clarinet not being made to tune- what do you mean by that question? Do you mean to the pitch the orchestra is tuning to? If so, you can adjust to their tuning usually if not just your joints, a new barrel maybe.
Bradley
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Author: vin
Date: 2003-06-23 17:17
It is my understanding that concert "A" is the most stable open string common to all the stringed instruments in the orchestra.
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-06-23 18:04
Sarah,
You asked: "What if your clarinet is not made to tune?"
Make sure that the keys are opening adequately, since a key that does not open far enough will lower the pitch.
All woodwinds have flaws in their scales and it is up to the player to lower the pitch by loosening the support of the lower lip and jaw, or raise the pitch by squeezing the reed more tightly against the mouthpiece with the lower lip and jaw as needed.
A note can be corrected if the entire set of harmonics on one fingering is out of tune in the same direction: adding tuning wax or clear nail polish to a tone hole will lower the pitch; to raise the pitch, fine sandpaper wrapped around a piece of dowel can be used to enlarge the tone hole opening.
Breath pressure affects pitch. Weak pressure results in flatter pitch while excess pressure will make the clarion register sharp and the low registers flat. Breath pressure is not generally a useful means of adjusting pitch but may explain a problem.
Alternate fingerings can sometimes solve a pitch problem, if the player has determined (as he or she should) which alternates are most effective on a given instrument
If the instrument plays sharp everywhere, pull the mouthpiece out of the barrel joint, and/or the barrel from the upper section to avoid too much loosening of a single joint. Loosening too much creates gaps in the bore that can affect the instrument's response so that tuning rings may be needed to fill the gap(s).
After pulling out the joints, the throat tones will be flatter than the tones with more holes closed so that you will need to compensate by pulling apart both the bridge and the bell joints slightly. Make sure that the bridge joint is not pulled out so far that its functioning is impaired.
If the instrument plays flat everywhere, you will need to get a shorter barrel.
I hope some of this will be useful.
Hans
Post Edited (2003-06-23 18:09)
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