 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-03-31 05:21
I've been playing Eb in my clarinet choir this semester, and I don't know if it is the insturment or me, but the A (just above open g) is always flat! I can't bring it up! Same with the G#. Is it me??
--Contragirl
Post Edited (2005-03-31 05:25)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: VermontJM
Date: 2005-03-31 10:44
I have been playing Eb for years and still feel like I am locked in battle with the instrument to keep it in tune... Probably the instrument... Keep at it though, sometimes you can train your mouth to lip it up.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-03-31 12:43
C G - I [we] presume you are asking re: soprano Eb, not alto Eb, not Contra Eb. What make , wood/plastic?, presents your [flat] problem? If the "rise" of the pads is now sufficient, then you will prob need to consult a repairer knowledgable about tone hole re-sizing, a job for experts. How well in tune are the rest of the notes, a bit of mp try-out might help. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Avie
Date: 2005-03-31 13:37
Good advise from DB and VJM. How flat are the A and G# keys? Are other keys out of tune and if so by how much? 5, 10, 20 cents flat or sharp? A differant MP or lipping up may be in order. A good tech should be able to pin point each problem area and recommend the best solutions.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-03-31 15:52
Yeah, it's an older R13 Effer. The instrument manager said that it isn't too great, but this A is soooo out of tune, I can't lip it up! I tried adjusting the screw to open or close the pad, and it would work if the screw wasn't so frozen. But the A and G# seem to be the main problems with it.
Also, what ligatures are best to use on Eefer? I am using an inverted Bonade and a B44 mpc, and a 3.5 reed (which I might need a 4). When I get my Eefer back from the shop, I use the not inverted Bonade with the B44. It seems that people prefer Bonades on Eb? Otherwise, I use a Bay on my Bb and a Rovner on my bass. I was thinking of a Rovner on the Eb.
Thanks!
CG
Post Edited (2005-03-31 20:03)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Alphie
Date: 2005-03-31 16:47
Your setup is a good one and as such it shouldn't cause you too much trouble. The B44 should work pretty well together with your R13. The reed strength you use is pretty hard and shouldn't cause and flatness. What about the barrel? Did you buy it from someone who used a longer barrel than standard for some reason? Since the flatness is focused mainly to the throut register, the first thing I would check is what a shorter barrel would do for me.
Alphie
Clarinet/Eb clarinet
RSPO
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: msloss
Date: 2005-03-31 17:43
Before anyone starts butchering the instrument, consider for the moment that you are playing the rest of the instrument sharp. The throat tones are going to be the hardest to lip up in the first place. A very common mistake for rookie Eb players (I hope I'm not being too presumptuous on that point given that you seem to primarily be a bass clar player) is to chomp down like crazy. You have to have a firm but flexible embouchure, and be consistent across the registers. Relax and open up the oral cavity and provide a robust and well supported air stream the same as on Bb and bass. You might also tilt up the instrument a bit (changing the angle of the embouchure) to help as well. Work with a tuner and see what you have to do to get the balance of the instrument in tune with the throat tones. You may find with some practice that you can get pretty darned close. If you find the 12ths to be difficult to tune even with practice, a Chadash barrel might do the trick.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Veldeb
Date: 2005-03-31 18:05
Ah yes... the terrors of Effer intonation.... I play on a Buffet RC Effer and was having similar problems plus fuzziness through the throat tones. I was also incredibly sharp throughout most of the instrument in chalameau and clarion and a half step to a step flat in altissimo registers.... I tried some different mouthpieces and have found Clark Fobes mouthpieces really opened up my throat tones.. i corrected a lot of my intonation problems by getting a longer barrel from him too so I wouldnt have to pull out a half inch. as for the altissimo...well its still way flat and what i (and some others) do to avoid "hamburger lip" and ruin tone quality is just accept that and transpose the altisimmo up a half step or step, dont open the "Eb" key and smile .... I also plotted out my pitch problems with a tuner and a friend so I wouldnt "cheat" and try to lip up or down to correct pitch. Trying these methods might help before performing surgery. Good luck! Blake
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-03-31 18:58
I've played eefer before, and I think I had some problems with low pitch in the G and A, but that was on a plastic Bundy. But now I am playing this R13 and it's the school's... so I wouldn't be surprised if it needed help.
As for me, I would love to practice... but the instrument, like I said, is the school's and someone else is using it for a band. And my personal Eb (which I am in the process of buying) is still in the shop. So I haven't had the time to pinpoint what exactly is making my pitch crazy cuz I have no practice instrument. The other octaves sound fine in tune.
As for the barrel, I think it is the stock barrel that comes with the horn. My friend suggests I get a Chadash soon, and I assume I should get a slightly longer one since being sharp is a problem most of the time.
Hopefully my effer doesn't have this problem with being flat.
Thanks!
CG
Post Edited (2005-03-31 20:03)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: VermontJM
Date: 2005-03-31 19:07
Ok- Don't yell at me if I did something you think is bad---
lol
My eefer (the school's actually) plays pretty sharp in the throat tones and I was having to half cover the third hole to bring the pitch down when playing e/b or d/a... so... I took some of that white poster putty, put a little in the third finger hole and shaped it to half close the the hole. Intonation fixed! Now instead of being 20cents sharp, those notes are only 5 cents sharp and I can lip that down. No big deal.
It hasn't affected an other notes, but I am a little concerned about getting the stuff out of there eventually... Worse comes to worse, I may have to do some very carefull scraping.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: super20dan
Date: 2005-03-31 22:53
you can bring up the pitch on the flat a by opening the g# key . for the flat g# -open the right hand side f#/b key. its called the little black wand of satan for a reason
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DezzaG
Date: 2005-04-04 06:57
Super20Dan
I think you're thinking in the wrong register
We're talking throat tone A here
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
