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Flat--me, barrel, or both?

Author: Library Geek
Date: 2007-04-13 01:14

In my community church orchestra, I am one of 4 clarinets. They are almost always in tune (we tune at A=440), and I am almost always flat. I've tried various remedies: "tightening up" my embouchure, pulling the clarinet closer to my body, making the corners of my mouth more round--all to no avail. I'm flat even after 1/2 hour of steady playing (both at home and at orchestra). My tuner is a Korg CA-30. Usually, I'm within the "-20" area when I tune.

This is my setup
--Buffet Ell wood clarinet (manufactured fall 1992--if that helps)
--Vandoren 5RV MP (just basic mouthpiece, no "series" or anything--I don't think)
--The barrel is the barrel that came with the clarinet. It is 64.5 mm
--Reeds: I switch between Vandoren V 12's and Vandoren Rue Lepic 56--both 3.5. Neither seems to be better than the other. I've not tried "doctoring" the reeds yet (sanding, clipping).

I realize that 99% of this difficulty with flatness is probably me and my embouchure. But, would a shorter barrel help at all, do you think? Also--if my current barrel is 64.5 mm--does that round up to 65 mm or round down to 64 mm when looking through catalogs (i.e. WWBW). Should I be looking at 64 mm? What about barrels for "A" clarinets (they seem to go shorter)?

Also--what companies for Barrels should I be looking at? What has seemed to work good with Ell's: the Buffet barrels for the R-13's, Ritenour, Moennig, Chadash? Maybe I should try a Click barrel and see how short I go until I'm in tune.

I live within 45 minutes of WWBW, so I guess it wouldn't hurt to go and try some. It's always fun to try new equipment, anyway.

Are there any other "embouchure exercises" I should try?

Also, there's this: after the fall of 1996, my clarinet basically sat in closets for the next 10 years. would this have something to do with me being flat (some of the closets were on outside walls)? Also--do Mouthpieces go bad after awhile? I don't see any obvious chips or scratches or anything.

Well, thanks for taking the time to read this, and for any advice you good people could give me. I have searched the board a bit, and tried some of the things.

Thanks,

Ann

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Flat--me, barrel, or both?

Library Geek

2007-04-13 01:14