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Author: classifan
Date: 2003-07-06 02:09

Hi,

I have run into variety of repair technicians and players around NJ and NY area that have all said the same thing whenever they see my clarinet. Why the hell is the register key pad so close to the tonehole, as if they much know better. I explain it to them that it is to improve the tuning of the clarion and altissimo notes. I don't think they would understand the logic even if I explain it to them. It's like these veterans are stuck inside their heads about how it should be. It makes perfect sense if you understand basic acoustics and how a clarinet functions; by restricting the airflow from the tonehole, the notes become flatter. I have a Buffet R-13 and when the pad was about 3mms away (factory default), the low clarion C, C#, B and the high C, B, Bb would all be very sharp--the twelvth were wide. Now, the pad is set around 0.7 mm, and it improved the tuning of these notes TREMENDOUSLY. I was so happy when I made the adjustment; music sounds so much better!! I have come to this number by doing the adjustment myself. I have picked up this valuable information from this site and surprised that many repair people and players don't know about this. Tuning is important and it has improved my playing so much. Now if only these people would open up and listen, instead of talking bs. Little knowledge can sometimes do wonders.

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Re: register key height mystery

Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2003-07-06 02:41

What repairmen have you spoken to in the NYC area? I have always found most of the good repairmen here to be very eager to please and able to do any new idea we come up with. Sometimes they do adjustments for us that they think are senseless, but are perfectly willing to give it a try. Sometimes we're right and everyone benefits from the experiment. Other times, we're wrong and learn a lot about what not to try before ruining a good horn. The point is; many of us, including the better repair guys, are trying to improve the clarinet any way we can. If your ideas are valid we'll all benefit, if you're the only one helped by your improvement...so be it.
Good luck,

JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist

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