 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Wittlenix
Date: 2007-07-13 12:41
I play a standard Buffet R13 with a Gregory Smith mouthpiece. I have discovered that I play remarkably sharp even with the Greg Smith mouthpiece (which tends to be flatter) and it means that I have to pull out on every joint almost 5mm. It really is a problem.
I am reluctant to change embouchure to try and flatten the pitch as I already have good control over all registers and I'm afraid this will destroy the tone I've worked so hard to develop. I have been considering experimenting with different length barrels (ie 67 or even 68mm) but I'm not even sure of where to start to look for these.
Can anyone recommend anything to try? I've been told to try Chadash barrels but have heard mixed reports from the conservatory that I study at. Any help would be most appreciated
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-07-13 12:55
Perhaps someone will have a "click" barrel for you to experiment with. While it's not the greatest barrel in the world (still a subjective statement), it has an adjustable height. So at the very least, you can play around with barrel length until you get a good sense of tuning, and then you can measure to see what size barrel you should be looking for. And then you can look at barrel makers.
Alexi
BTW - Some barrel makers will custom make and tune a barrel if you send them your instrument. Walter Grabner used to do this (I haven't checked his website about barrels in a while . . . he may still offer it), as well as others.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Clarinetcola
Date: 2007-07-13 13:10
I had a different embouchure and was a sharp player before as well.. no matter what i try, including what you have done, i was still sharp. But I've come to realise that with a good developed tone but sharper than everyone else just doesn't work. I finally decided to at least try and change my embouchure and see if it cures the problem. After several months I was developing good on my new embouchure and everything's working fine for me.
I suggest you change your embouchure, it sure will be a hard time, but you will see the benefit. =)
Nathan
PS: I've tried a LOT of barrels as well... none worked getting me in tune.
Nathan
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2007-07-13 13:47
I know this is tough to hear but if your "set up" is sharp, you're playing it sharp! Too much pressure at the wrong spot on the reed. I did it for years, and I play double lip. Trust me, you can still use too much embouchure with double lip. What is the pitch of just your mouthpiece alone. Grab a tuner and and let me know.
Tom Puwalski, former soloist with the US Army Field Band, Clarinetist with The Atonement, and Author of "The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer"and most recently by the order of the wizard of Oz, for supreme intelligence, a Masters in Clarinet performance
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Author: rsholmes
Date: 2007-07-13 14:51
Note on the Click barrel: I bought one and discovered it was too tight for the upper joint tenon on my clarinet. I didn't think it a good idea to try to widen the barrel's socket, since its wall is thin plastic, and I certainly didn't want to modify the upper joint tenon to fit the barrel, so I returned it.
If you have to open up "every joint" by 5 mm, then I wouldn't think a barrel 2 or 3 mm longer than your current one would bring you into tune.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-07-13 15:37
rsholmes wrote:
> If you have to open up "every joint" by 5 mm, then I wouldn't
> think a barrel 2 or 3 mm longer than your current one would
> bring you into tune.
hmmm . . . good point! Didn't think about that!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2007-07-13 16:04
Sometimes a clarinet is tuned sharp. For example, I have a student with an R13 that has begun to play sharp over the past few years. She's had several excellent repair techs look at it, and they all say it seals well. It's a shame: it played at the same pitch level as my R13 and Chadash when we picked it out 6-7 years ago. Is your clarinet a bit older?
As for barrels, there are several custom makers that can make you a longer barrel, but it won't bring the pitch down equally (the left hand will be flatter than the right.)
Chris Hill
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Author: Gobboboy
Date: 2007-07-13 17:49
Hi
I too have experienced this problem.
My view for you would be; firstly - While you are playing try to open your throat as much as possible. Imagine you are an opera singer and you want to sing with a big wide sound full of tone.
This helps twofold 1. it improves the overall sound as your are widening the flow of air through the Clarinet therefore producing a much fuller tone. & 2. it will bring the pitch down, as you are not constricting the sound but opening it up it will naturally lower the pitch.
and secondly; buy a set of tuning rings.
These fill the gap between the barrell and the upper joint without having to buy a longer barrell. They come in three different thicknesses, 0.5mm-1mm-1.5mm.
The rings combined with a wide throat (column of air) should help significantly.
good luck
G
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