The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jerry Mucci
Date: 2005-12-02 04:28
Is it me, my R-13, or both of us? My F# (middle hole right hand) is louder than the surrounding notes. I vaguely remember that we simply must compensate for that extra loudness on that note. How widespread is this characteristic? Do different brands/models have a less prominent loudness difference? Can clarinet tweakers like the Brennens improve or eliminate this [pick one: defect; anomalie; inconsistency; pain in the butt; challenge]?
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Author: Neil
Date: 2005-12-02 15:18
Sorry I can't help with the F#, not being in the R-13 M---- (or C--- N----), but it's good to know you're still out there. I hadn't heard from you since Ivan.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-12-02 16:03
Same here re: Buffets. On all [Boehm] cls, the easy fingering is the 2nd finger right-hand, BUT it is a FORK fingering, often not as good [for B nat. as well] as the 1st finger plus the "banana" key, so I suggest trying it. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2005-12-02 16:14
My R13 is the same way, or at least it seems to be. I tend to use the alternate fingering as much as possible because it plays much nicer on mine.
The middle fingering, however, can be brought into line fairly well with proper airstream.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2005-12-02 21:04
Good thing you're playing a Boehm horn; you'd have a lot of issues with an Albert or a Oehler...
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2005-12-02 22:05
i noticed the same thing today. i normally just use the alternate fingering(1st finger with the bisk key) it has better sound
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Author: bass9396
Date: 2005-12-02 23:08
My R-13 does the same thing. It's not this drastic , massive difference, but you can tell the F# is a little happy. I just play it down a little, use warmer air, to keep it in check. To play to that tendency must be a pain, I'd much rather alter that one note.
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Author: Jerry Mucci
Date: 2005-12-04 23:21
At least Ivan (last year) didn't mess up any scheduled community band concerts. The storms this year caused us to cancel two concerts. But fortunately they just brushed us in Destin. It could have been lots worse. I'm am not looking forward to next year's hurricane season.
Thanks everyone for your F# comments. It sounds like this issue is somewhat unique to the R-13. Is this true? If so, what brands don't suffer from this problem as prominently? I suppose the competing brands have their own idiosyncrasies that result in the R-13 still being one of the top instruments. Like what, do you suppose?
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Author: Connor
Date: 2005-12-05 00:54
I have noticed that a good reed makes the problem go a way. I have a Buffet Tosca and a new Yamaha CS. F# sounds horrible on a reed that has warped, or is too soft. My observation is that only on your best reeds will you get a nice even scale, absent a noisy f#. One other consideration is whether you mouth piece is warped or the rails are uneven. For quite some time i had played on a "good" M-13, however, i always sounded bright and edgy, with a loud unfocused F#. when experimenting with a few different mouthpieces form the clarinet studio, i discoverd that nither player or reeds were to blame for the bad sound. For now im stuck on an old B-45, but there is no edge on my sound, and F# has a nice sonority within the scale.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-12-05 14:47
I had the G above your F# pop out on my R13/16-1/2. It was unmanageble and drove me nuts.
After its rebuild at Muncy Winds and a new barrel, that whole section of the horn is better balanced --with no notes that stick out. Its a great relief to be able to play that range of the instrument without compensating note-by-note (and never being quick enough to really make it work).
Now, I'm playing a Rose etude that drops repeatedly to C#4. That note is really resonant. It rings and adds a neat fillup to the notes. I'm just going to let it go and see what teach has to say about that this morning (if I can keep my fingers from getting tangled up and ruining the whole effect.)
Bob Phillips
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