 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-07-24 21:31
I've been having an ongoing problem which is slowly driving me batty. When playing A5 (1 ledger above staff) the note is fairly unstable and wants to crack. Every other note on the clarinet is rock solid up to C7 including D4 which shares similar fingering. I have not taken the clarinet to a tech, but I've checked for leaks as best I can and cannot find any.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to proceed or if there may be something intergal to the instrument making this one note unstable?
Thanks in advance
Rick
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-07-24 21:49
Don't know for sure,Rick, but sometimes a loose pad might do this. I'd look at the little one under the A key myself.
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2003-07-25 18:32
I've noticed from my own playing (when younger) and from the playing of my students that the A5 can sometimes be a tempermental note. It tends to grunt a lot and can just be hard to play (which sounds like what you've been talking about). I haven't had this problem for several years, but I did when I started playing, so I suppose it could depend on how long you've been playing (I assume you've played for some time, since you can play a solid c7, so this may not be it...)
You should probably take it to the shop. If nothing proves to be wrong with it, maybe try some long tones on that note to see what will give you the best results. Good luck
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-07-25 18:36
Rick -
A above the staff is a problem note on many wind instruments. You say the D below is fine. How about the F# above (which is bad on most clarinets)?
Try a different mouthpiece. How is it?
Then try your regular mouthpiece but a different barrel.
Then try your mouthpiece on another instrument.
Try both your mouthpiece and barrel on another instrument, preferably the same make and model.
If it's your particular instrument and setup that's the problem, the most likely cure will be a new barrel. Get in touch with Guy Chadash, tell him what you're playing and what the problem is, and he'll probably be able to make something specifically for it.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-07-25 20:41
I haven't tried switching MP's since it took me so darn long to find one I like...g but I'll try it. FWIW, I'm playing a Concerto and have tried using different length barrels just to see if this was some sort of standing wave problem. The only thing accomplished was throwing the pitch off.
I checked he pads by actually pressing on it with my free hand. The upper unit is corked except for one pad when it was Brannenized over the winter. I that thought that perhaps the pad had settled in but that doesn't appear to be the case.
Every note in the clarion as I said is very stable except for the A. The altissimo notes are as stable as I imagine they are for anyone. I typically warmup playing a chromatic scale from E-C7 and unless the reed is just being a bugger that day I can typically hold all the notes as long as I would care to except the A5 which tries to go south for no apprent reason. Naturally it seems as though everything I'm playing right now has a half or full note A in it, repeated several times just to see how much stress it can cuase..BG!
I'll probably be dropping by the tech in the next couple of days to make sure nothing is to amiss and I'll contact Guy to see if he has any ideas.
Thanks to all
Rick
Best
Rick
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2003-07-31 22:07
Hi:
Just a quick update for everyone who was kind enough to respond to my query. I switched the Marcellus MP I was using with a Larry Combs that came with my Opus A and the problem went away with no additional issues developing other than a slight change in tone.
For those of you who suggested leaks, the tech benched tested it and it was tight as a drum. Keys were tight, no wiggles, pads were all secure, in essence nothing to explain the A5 issue.
I still have no explanation as to why the problem began in the first place, but I'm pragmatic enough not to let it worry me too much. I'll just chock it up to more clarinet wierdness.
Thanks again to all who replied.
Best
Rick
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-07-31 22:43
Thanks for the update,Rick. As my dear old father used to say, "Rosanna,Rosanna danna, it's always something.......
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Author: Benni
Date: 2003-07-31 23:52
I think I remember reading somewhere that the LH ring finger tone hole is very close to a node of the waves that travel through your clarinet to make the sound, and that this positioning near a node makes clarion A (and usually G as well) inherently unstable, and that it's just more noticeable in the upper register.
I don't know much about acoustics, though, so someone please clear this up/correct this if I'm wrong.
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Author: bob49t
Date: 2003-08-01 20:18
Just have a wee bash at adding R pinky B for a form of "resonance" fingering.
Dependent of course, on whence cometh the passage. For languid pedesrtian passages it makes my slightly stuffy A5 ring out, leaving pitch unaffected and even allowing a safe slow vibrato if necessary.
My instr is a wide bore, so may not work as well on a narrow bore stick.
Bob T
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-08-02 21:48
I had a post made up, yesterday, which was erased, I guess, by an elect. interruption [from a lightning flash], so will try to recall it. From Benni's thots, I'd suggest that you look at the "rise" of the top pad , lower joint, which may be a secondary "venting" of your A, "primary" of the G, assuming it may be a weak note also. Acoustics are strange! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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