 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: hans
Date: 2006-07-20 03:12
This could just as easily happen with a clarinet....
This evening our swing band was performing and after about 5 or 6 numbers my alto sax went badly out of tune, then some notes around the middle became difficult to impossible to play.
Between numbers I figured out what was wrong: a piece of cork had come loose..... with the left hand keys closed, the next pad down would not close because the cork had moved out of the linkage. I pushed it back into position, but had to quit playing the alto because every time I played a G# the cork fell out of the link again. I play the 1st alto part, which is kind of important to a swing band, so this was a disaster.
That's the first time in 47 years of playing that I've had an instrument fail me during a performance. Fortunately my clarinet worked perfectly (I hadn't brought the spare) and Moonlight Serenade went very well, but the rest of the time I felt silly, sitting there with a broken instrument, rising blood pressure, and a few hundred people watching.
I'm considering buying a second alto for a backup. If anyone has another way to cope with this kind of problem, I would grateful if you would share it.
Hans
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Author: johnsonfromwisconsin
Date: 2006-07-20 03:42
<i>I'm considering buying a second alto for a backup. If anyone has another way to cope with this kind of problem, I would grateful if you would share it. </i>
There are a couple emergency repair kits available for this sort of thing, www.musicmedic.com has such a thing. I bought one a couple years ago and found it usefull for repairs I've done myself. I don't know that this will solve all possible issues, however.
-JfW
Post Edited (2006-07-20 03:43)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-07-20 03:52
The only instrument failure I've ever experienced was in Moussorgsky's Night on the Bare (Bald) Mountain. During the 12 measure rest before the big clarinet solo at the end of the piece, I take off the mouthpiece during the rest to swab out the clarinet one final time and the entire tenon cork of the mouthpiece comes off in my hand!
The 1st bassoonist, seeing my utter panic (and ashen complexion) thinks quickly and rips a strip of material off her silk swab. She hands it to me and I wrap it around the bottom of the mouthpiece and wedge everything back into the barrel. Amazingly I created enough of a seal to play the solo.
I bought the bassoonist a new swab and some bassoon reeds in appreciation.
Now I always keep a second mouthpiece and reed set-up within arm's reach. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
I can handle most quick emergency repairs so I keep a small repair kit in both my clarinet case and saxophone cases (self adhesive pads, cork, dental floss, spring hook, rubber bands, stick-on green felt, screwdrivers, etc...)
Additionally, I travel to all concerts, gigs, etc... with a back up (student grade or intermediate level) instrument and keep it in the car.
I like the peace of mind of having something on-site "just in case" ...GBK
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Author: skitrees
Date: 2006-07-20 08:41
Hans,
I don't know if this helps or not, as I'm sure you know most of this, but I always keep a lighter and a small tube of "Pad and Cork Cement" in my bag. It isn't quickly useable on stage, but within a few short minutes off to the side, the fix is made and reasonably permanent.
One further addition I made to my bag recently is yarn: I found myself in a very awkward situation. I was preparing to go onstage prior to a "Halloween" concert at the college a few years back, and as I was putting my Bb clarinet together, the cork at the lower end of the upper joint cracked in half and fell off entirely. I can't express the incomprehendible fear and embarrassment which momentarily ran through me, but then I happened to remember working on a reproduction of an old flute recently, and remembered that they used course threads at the joints instead of cork. It just so happened that the costume I was wearing had some red yarn woven into it. I ripped a small piece of the red yarn out of the costume, wrapped the joint with it, and my clarinet played as good as if it had a cork joint. No one ever new. The clarinet didn't wobble at the joint or anything.
Ever since that time, I have included yarn in my bag. It'll work for any cork joints - clarinet, saxophone necks (as long as there is at least a few chunks of cork or glue for the yarn to grab onto), and pretty much any other cork joint on any other instrument - though I must say that the clarinet is probably most suited for this emergency measure.
I don't take extra pads or cork with me, as my experience has led me to believe that I can usually find and reuse the errant pad or cork if necessary in emergencies, but to each her or his own. Luckily, these types of situations don't occur very frequently at all over the course of a musician's life, right?
- Skitrees
Make music, not ego รดรด
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2006-07-20 13:05
I have taken to carrying some double-sided foam tape (3mm thickness) for this sort of thing. It's a "peel and stick" type that holds long enough to get through a set. I think Canadian Tyre carries it?
The real task is locating the stuff when needed...
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2006-07-20 13:26
Rosario Mazzeo showed me how he always carried postage stamps in his "kit" (the old lick-and-stick sort); cut up into small rectangles -- as needed -- they make fine shims to compensate for lost or worn action. Used in layers they work very well as a temporary substitute for missing corks in places like the bridge keys or "birdfoot". This ad hoc repair has saved my behind numerous times.
Caveat: this is not a permanent fix -- get thee to a competent repair person at earliest convenience!
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-07-20 13:35
HI Hans - YUP, I've had this happen to me also, it just points out how Dependent we [our insts] are to small bits of strategically placed cork for adjustments. I've also had pads fall out, and like skitrees [what a monikar [sp?]], I always carry a tube of P&C cement, bits of cork, maybe a pad or so, small screwdriver, maybe small nosed pliers in my BC case. Maybe thats why it weighs so much, couldn't be my age !! I've done a bit of rehearsal repair for others, fortunately not during concerts [YET}. LUCK. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-07-20 14:24
A rubber band or two, wrapped in a plastic sandwich bag and kept between the case and case cover (so the sulfur in the rubber won't discolor the keys) has saved my sanity a couple of times.
You could also put a tiny tube of Krazy Glue (unopened, so it doesn't dry out) in the bag for corks that come off, though repair shops hate it, because it's so hard to remove.
A book of matches to melt the shellac to reset a pad is useful.
I had a long screw back out and be ready to fall during a woodwind quintet concert. I fixed it at the end of the movement, and thank goodness for tiny screwdrivers. A fellow I know had a key actually fall off. He grabbed his A clarinet and transposed the rest of the movement.
Oboes are particularly prone to crack between the two tiny trill key holes on the upper joint. John de Lancie, the principal oboist in the Philadelphia Orchestra, never went on stage without briefcase that opened at the top in a small "V," in which he laid a second oboe, assembled and ready to go.
Ken Shaw
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Author: BTBob
Date: 2006-07-20 16:22
I never go on a gig without first aid adhesive tape (the waterproof, white kind). You can rip it into small bits, and wrap it wround key arms to hold on or replace corks.
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2006-07-20 16:48
Quote:
Between numbers I figured out what was wrong: a piece of cork had come loose..... with the left hand keys closed, the next pad down would not close because the cork had moved out of the linkage. I pushed it back into position, but had to quit playing the alto because every time I played a G# the cork fell out of the link again. I play the 1st alto part, which is kind of important to a swing band, so this was a disaster.
That's the first time in 47 years of playing that I've had an instrument fail me during a performance. Fortunately my clarinet worked perfectly (I hadn't brought the spare) and Moonlight Serenade went very well, but the rest of the time I felt silly, sitting there with a broken instrument, rising blood pressure, and a few hundred people watching.
I'm considering buying a second alto for a backup. If anyone has another way to cope with this kind of problem, I would grateful if you would share it.
Hans
Here's what would a pro would do:
1. Stick the cork back in place with a gluestick, or masking tape or whatever else so that would stay in place. You identified the problem, but didn't fix it effectively.
2. During the repair (and if the repair proved to be unsuccessful), the second alto player should have covered the lead parts.
3. Failing all else, I would have sight-transposed for the rest of the gig. Been there, done it before.
Post Edited (2006-07-20 16:51)
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2006-07-20 16:53
I've actually owned backup instruments in my career, but sold them after I realized that I'd never take one on a gig. There's just too much crap to haul already.
Backup reeds, ligs, mouthpieces - absolutely.
IMO anyone who goes on a gig without a spare mouthpiece is foolhardy.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-07-20 17:32
Well said, Merlin ! My "worst time on a gig" was when I bumped my car's window, and cut a gash in lower lip, played alto sax "bloodily", no clar, glad when the ordeal was over !! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: pewd
Date: 2006-07-20 20:08
i have 2 mouthpieces ready to go
and a student clarinet (E11) in the car
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: hans
Date: 2006-07-20 21:30
Thank you all for the wealth of great information above; it is very much appreciated.
My clarinet case contains enough supplies to do most repairs, but I was wedged into a tight spot in the front row and couldn't get out. From now on I'll keep the case under my chair. And I'm going to look for a backup instrument.
I took it into the tech today and I think my blood pressure is almost back to normal :-)
Hans
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Author: Ah Clem
Date: 2006-07-30 05:35
I know that I am still a novice (one of the reasons that I do not post much-I prefer to sit back and attempt to absorb the wonderful knowledge on this board, but for broken pads, what about a bottle of medium thickness ZAP (cyanoacrylate) or some Walthers Goo (very quick drying contact cement. Not standard (ok, standard for model airplanes and trains) but very effective adhesives.
Sorry if I am showing my ignorance.
Ah Clem
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2006-07-30 08:17
So on the subject of instrument failure, I came across a slight failure this evening: I'm playing bass clarinet (borrowed horn) for a musical and during the first act I starting losing the cork on the lever mechanism for thumb F (the lever that presses down the pad on the front). After limping along for a while to protect what was there, I pulled out the teflon tape. Wrapped it around, and bang! It works. As a matter of fact, worked better than I expected. It turns out that pad had a slight leak and was causing me all sorts of troubles that I chalked up to a bum mouthpiece. Now with the extra thickness of the tape, pad is closed and troubles are gone.
Teflon tape! Emergency joint cork, key cork, pad, and I've even used it for some temporary keywork adjustments. Too bad it doesn't make julienne fries.
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
www.SouthBayWinds.com
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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