 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Melanie
Date: 2000-02-12 03:11
Well, I got some reeds (Vandoren 2s -- all the music store had, but my conductor picked up the tab). I've played the clarinet. Adjusted the bent keys. Fascinated everyone with it and gained the respect of the low brass -- I'm an honorary member now because that clarinet is low, and it's brass!
Now, I have come to a small problem: I can get every note down to low Eb to sound in the low register. In the upper register, I can start at high C and work my way down to E at the top of the staff. Any thing lower than that jumps to the next harmonics. I'm not doing anything different playing-wise; the notes just won't speak! The gap between long B and E is a problem because in my contrabassoon parts, I have to play those notes (of course transposed).
Any thoughts? Suggestions? I really appreciate everyone's help with my previous contra query!
Melanie
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-02-12 07:38
Sounds like you have a leak somewhere. The clarion register on a contra is finnicky about leaks. It doesn't take much. Put the neck on and have some one plug the other end with their hand or something and close all the keys like B. listen for a leak or better yet, have someone else listen and systematicly press on each pad, one at a time until you find the offending pad. A leak light would be better, but if ya ain't got one, ya gotta improvise.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-02-12 15:07
I agree with Willie. I dont have experience with the contras, but I would guess they need the "double register keying" and possibly a separate [larger and lower] Bb "pinch" tone hole even more than my basses. I have found that its critical that ONLY ONE of the registers is open at any time. If even a very slight rise is seen on the "other" one, its trouble. You can check it by putting a small piece of masking tape on the register hole not being played, and see if the problems are gone. If they are OK, look elsewhere for a slightly leaking pad, prob high on the upper joint! Good luck, Don
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Author: Kontragirl
Date: 2000-02-12 17:16
That happened to me before. I hope something different happened to you. It turns out somebody got into my case and forced several keys out of alignment...but that's a whole different story...My case, even today, isn't locked up properly. It took along time to fix, and it was very expensive. I hope you just have a leak. That's what the people at the music store thought it was in the first place.
Kontragirl
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2000-02-12 18:48
To me it sounds like the problem is that the upper/high register-key doesn't close properly. To play anything lower than E'', that key has to be dead closed. Try to play the note D below and have somebody to press that key for you. If it works we have isolated the problem. You have my sympathy.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2000-02-14 21:54
Melanie wrote:
-------------------------------
Well, I got some reeds (Vandoren 2s -- all the music store had, but my conductor picked up the tab). I've played the clarinet. Adjusted the bent keys. Fascinated everyone with it and gained the respect of the low brass -- I'm an honorary member now because that clarinet is low, and it's brass!
Now, I have come to a small problem: I can get every note down to low Eb to sound in the low register. In the upper register, I can start at high C and work my way down to E at the top of the staff. Any thing lower than that jumps to the next harmonics. I'm not doing anything different playing-wise; the notes just won't speak! The gap between long B and E is a problem because in my contrabassoon parts, I have to play those notes (of course transposed).
Any thoughts? Suggestions? I really appreciate everyone's help with my previous contra query!
Melanie
Melanie -
Alphie has hit the nail on the head. Between E and Eb in the clarion register, every contra switches (going down) from a smallish register vent at the top of the upper joint (or on the neck) to a larger one at about the level of the pad for the throat A, and switches back going up. It's 100% certain that your problem is caused because the upper key remains slightly open. It may work fine ascending, but the inherent friction in the mechanism makes the problem worse going down.
The mechanism for switching between the register vents is very complex. If you're playing a Leblanc metal contra, it's insanely complex.
Of all the times a contra key gets out of adjustment, 9 times out of 10 its the double register key mechanism.
For proof, have a clarinetist friend stand beside you and watch as you try to go from the clarion E to Eb. Your friend will see that the upper register key remains open (maybe only a tiny bit, but that's plenty to spoil things). Then play a slow descending chromatic scale and have your friend gently close the upper vent as you go from E to Eb. The problem will disappear.
Especially on a Leblanc, this is too complicated to adjust yourself. Go to a repair shop and have it done right.
Keep at it. Contra is too much fun to miss.
Ken Shaw
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