 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: studioline
Date: 2004-08-06 22:27
Without taking it to a repairman, how does one go about getting the throat notes to be a little clearer. On my A clarinet, my A and Bb are a bit fuzzy and I'm sure there's something simple I can do myself to adjust them slightly. They are not too bad, but it would be nice to get them a little more even sounding with my open G and G sharp.
Please don't suggest anything to do with fingerings(adding extra fingers to help the resonance) as I'm well aware of that. It's the technical readjusting thing I'm interested in.(I'm not good with all the repair side of the clarinet!)
Thanks in advance Stu
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2004-08-06 23:29
Play around with the adjustment screw on top of the G# key. It may not be creating enough clearance. I would think it'd affect the G# itself, but you say yours is fine. Still, it may only crop up in conjunction with the A and register keys.
You should consider adding extra fingers to help the resonance... ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
________________
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- Pope John Paul II
Post Edited (2004-08-06 23:30)
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Author: Joe B
Date: 2004-08-06 23:50
My throat tones were real fuzzy on my R13 circa 1984. I just got a Buffet/Chadash barrel at the Clarinetfest and it did the trick for me. What a difference it made. Although this option will cost you the price of a new barrel. Just a thought.
Joe
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-08-06 23:50
1. Old, dry, crisp membranes on the pads, vibrating.
2. A very deep seat in the pads, i.e. squishy pads were installed once.
3. Pad too thick to allow adequate venting.
4. Key cork(s) too thick to allow adequate venting.
5. Key geometry needs to be altered (bent, or in some cases by grinding surplus metal off the A key beneath the cork) to allow adequate venting.
6. Tone holes partly blocked by lint or gunge.
7. Reed too hard for the lip pressure &/or air pressure the player is capable of exerting.
8. A combination of the above.
Post Edited (2004-08-06 23:51)
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Author: hans
Date: 2004-08-06 23:51
Is this a new problem? If so, check the condition of the A key's pad.
If it's not a new problem, it may be time to clean out some tone holes - something that you can probably do yourself.
Regards,
Hans (who never adds extra fingers to help the resonance)
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Author: Camanda
Date: 2004-08-07 01:06
I had this problem a little while ago. I was sanding key cork, I was loosening screws, I did everything. It turned out the A key was bent towards the wood, presumably from the case falling off my bed. I bent it back with a blunt screwdriver. Not a smart decision, I'm sure, but there was no damage done. Check that key -- make sure it clears the tone hole.
Amanda Cournoyer
URI Clarinet Ensemble, Bass Clarinet
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-08-07 01:52
Good advice already given. I echo Gordon's #6, in particular the register vent tube which is small dia to begin with. Also look down the bore at the end of the tube to see if anything is hanging on there. I have noticed a considerable improvement in "pinch" Bb clarity in the Selmers and Leblancs which I attribute to the RAISED "boss" on the surface which, with a fixed length tube, puts the "business" end of the tube at about 1/3 to 1/4 the bore diameter, instead of 1/2. These require a differently structured register key. If all efforts fail, I'd suggest you consult a SKILLED cl repairer about obtaining and installing a Galper register vent. It may have been developed for Buffets in particular. Users, please help! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: studioline
Date: 2004-08-07 09:12
Thanks for all your advice!! I think it might be that either the cork is too thick on the A key, which prevents it from lifting high enough, or the pad is a maybe a touch too thick. After I had my clarinet repadded this problem seemed more apparent-so i think there's some relevancey there. It's not BAD, or that noticeable, but it's not how I want them.
Am I right in thinking the tuning will alter if I start messing with the cork to help the A key in lifting up a bit more? I would imagine it will get a bit sharper?
My clarinets are Rossi, so they already have an extra register vent key Don, but thanks for the suggestion. To Joe B, a chadash barrel wouldn't fit it as the length of my barrels are much smaller than standard barrels, but again thanks for the advice.
I'm always very nervous of messing around with my clarinets, as I'm not technically minded and have never bothered really to investigate into the technical workings of the instrument. I know I should do- it justs seems too complicated! I'm found in the past the few things I have touched on, have perhaps helped the problem in question, but created another one in the process!!!!!!
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Author: RAMman
Date: 2004-08-07 11:46
Hi Stuart...
Give it to me, I'll have a look at it for you!!
lol
Fuzzy throat notes? Support your sound more!
For once I'm going to go against my own advice ('the answer to everything does not appear when you buy a new mouthpiece or barrel' but I know your playing....) and suggest you try a James Pyne moutpiece, I'll bring mine down so you can have a go.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-08-07 12:32
Yes, increasing the venting may raise the pitch slightly, but how much depends on quite a few acoustic design factors.
Good luck. As an experiment you could try taking the associated keys off and see if the problem goes away with this type of COMPLETE venting. You are unlikely to encounter problems taking off these particular keys and returning them.
For the G#, it is very easy to increase the venting by bending the 'touch-piece' (with the cork on it) up, especially if you happen (unlikely!) to have some wide, thin, smooth-jaw pliers to twist it with. There are some more risks associated with altering the geometry of the A key, but if the cork is thicker than about 0.4 mm then you have scope for adjustment by altering the cork.
In my experience, many repair technicians are not really conscious of the need for good venting for a clarinet. One has to play the instrument to a reasonable standard to appreciate and check for adequate venting.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-08-07 13:52
Very well said, Gordon, BUT, IMHO, if I had a Rossi, I believe I'd contact him to seek a solution to problems such as this, before trying my [poorly-skilled] hand at it. I made mention of "Ave" Galper's "Speaker Vent" [US patent 5,241,890] research, the vent tube etc is available from some of our cl etc distributors, if that is desired. I do agree with increased venting of many keys both for note clarity and tuning. There is no end to trying to cure the notes associated with this DUAL-PURPOSE fingering, from which the real problem arises. Just my thots, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: studioline
Date: 2004-08-07 16:23
RAMman,
Thank you for your advice on supporting the sound more, I'll do my best lol!!!
A suggestion to you, why don't you try out a Greg Smith mouthpiece, I'll lend you one of mine if you like- might help you on those top notes you were talking about!!!!!!! LOL!
Stu
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Author: RAMman
Date: 2004-08-07 19:16
Don't you talk down to me young man!
lol
My altissimo playing is between me and my mouthpiece.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-08-07 20:25
Just now, in checking-out an R13, I found a "too-great" diff between the tonality of the pinch Bb and the A + 2nd trill key, which would have induced me to buy Leb or Sel instead. I am going to recommend that the owner-clist consult a pro repairer about getting a Galper vent tube, perhaps a reg. key re-construction would also be needed, a bit costly ??, but worth it ?Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2004-08-09 07:44
i had to do a recroding once and my better r13 was being repaired so i used my other r-13 (which is alos good but not as good, especially in the throat notes). i listened to the recording later and the throat notes sounded pretty good! i think they sound different ot the player than to other pepole.
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2004-08-09 11:36
>I have noticed a considerable improvement in "pinch" Bb clarity in the >Selmers and Leblancs which I attribute to the RAISED "boss" on the >surface which, with a fixed length tube, puts the "business" end of the >tube at about 1/3 to 1/4 the bore diameter, instead of 1/2.
> ..........
>Users, >please help! Don
Is there some magical length to the register tube that gives best tuning? Is there some reason not to shorten it?
Ignoring the water issue, why does the tube stick so far into the bore?
TIA,
Matt
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-08-09 14:29
I always "eyeball" my register vent tube before I assemble the instruments, since often a case fabric leaving or other bit of stuff can migrate there on the pull through swab.
An easy bit of regular maintenance to perform is to pull the register key, then carefully "swab" out the vent with a pipe cleaner. On the bass, I just bend a right angle in the pipe cleaner, then make entry from the bore of the horn instead (don't want to disassemble those double register keys now, do we?). I also open the vent and blow it out with a puff of air (from the outside going in) each time I assemble the horn.
It doesn't take very much to get things stuffy; I've removed an eyelash looking hair (at least I hope it was an eyelash) from a school bass clarinet vent once, and it made all the difference in the world.
Saxophones often have mold growing in the bore that will eventually cover register vents, at least down here in Humidityland. Getting the small horns dried out is easy enough, but the crook on a baritone will never be 100% dried (in my forty plus years of experience with them, at least). With the bari, one thing I do before assembly is to eyeball the inside of the "high" register vent. The occasional brushing with a bottle type brush cleans it out well enough.
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