 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: benward
Date: 2007-11-15 20:49
I have been playing the clarinet for 6 years and been studying privately for almost 2. Previously, I had very few problems with tuning. Suddenly, my pitch skyrocketed and I have struggled to fix it at all. On some of my worst notes, I end up about 30 cents sharp. When I pull out a considerable amount, I am able to get most of the instrument in-tune, except for my throat tones, which get a little flat (but not too much) and my G, A, B, and C above the staff, which are seemingly unaffected by my pulling out. One thing I've noticed is that anything I play with the register key is about 5-10 cents sharper on average than on the notes that I do not press it. Things I have tried thus far include blowing warmer air, firming my embouchure, and opening my throat more, but none of these had almost any effect. At the moment, my practice sessions consist of me basically doing long tones for very long periods of time in hope that they may have some effect, but little (if anything) has happened. I am curious if anyone has gone through a similar phase as I am going through or can recommend any way that I might try going about it fixing this.
Equipment: I play on an R13 Bb (stock 66 mm barrel) and A (stock 65 mm barrel) and on a Vandoren M30 mouthpiece. I typically use the traditional Vandoren 4-strength reeds.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2007-11-15 22:01
Are you just pulling out at the barrel? Try pulling some at the middle joint and the bell.
If the sharpness is sudden, did it come at the onset of an equipment change? If so, could be the new equipment. If not, could be something screwy with your horn. Take it to a good tech.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: benward
Date: 2007-11-15 23:46
Hey,
Actually, in the end, I pull out at both the barrel and middle joint. Afterwards, everything ends up being in-tune, except for the G, A, B, C above the staff, which remain sharp (15 cents or so). When I pull out, it ends up being a pretty hefty amount (I'm relatively certain the sharpness has nothing to do with equipment. Both of my clarinets were chosen by me and my teacher after going through multiple ones. For my teacher, they play very in-tune. I think it is my embouchure, but I can't figure out what. When I pull out, I have to do it a lot, a couple millimeters in both the barrel and middle joint. Fortunately, the throat tones don't go more than 5 cents flat, but I think it's ridiculous I have to pull out so much and it must be something I'm doing wrong.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2007-11-16 00:00
Like I said, if this started happening suddenly, it might be your equipment. Just because it played well when you picked it out doesn't mean it will play well indefinitely. A small leak in certain places can wreak havoc on pitch, and it might be something your teacher just automatically compensates for.
There's really no reason not to at least take it to a shop that has a tech on duty and see if they can spot any obvious problems by just looking at it at the counter.
There are two ways to go about this: Have a tech look at your clarinet, and have your teacher look at you. One of the two should be able to find the problem. That is, of course, assuming your tuner is functioning properly and set to your desired pitch of A.
A couple mm seems like a lot to pull out, but isn't that far out of line.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-11-16 00:17
Apparently, from what I read on this board (you can check it out too with a search), aftermarket barrels are designed to minimize the exact spreading of tuning that you're having (where the G, A, B, and C above the staff and sharper while the rest of the instrument is in good tune). You may want to read up on that.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-11-16 09:15
It sounds like your technique has just changed and taken you to a very sharp place. What to do about it? Perhaps your embouchure is /too/ firm...
But if you're tuning to A=440, bear in mind that standard Vandoren mouthpieces are built to 442. They make special extra-flat 'series 13' mouthpieces for the A=440 world.
The register key producing /slightly/ more than a twelfth of pitch change is perfectly normal, a characteristic of the instrument. F/C is the worst interval on my own instrument. Search this board for ways to combat it, if it annoys! But then again, a /little/ bit of 'stretch tuning' isn't entirely offensive. They tell me it's quite common to tune a piano with a little bit of 'stretch'.
Post Edited (2007-11-16 09:16)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-11-16 14:57
Also, from what I've been told by other musicians is that the higher the pitch, the more 'natural' it is for it to be acceptable even if it's sharp. So an altissimo pitch that's a little sharp will not stand out as much as a clarion or chalemeau tone that is sharp.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: D
Date: 2007-11-17 20:20
you've not had any dental work done recently have you?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tdinap
Date: 2007-11-17 20:37
I have a similar problem in that I play ridiculously sharp. My teachers haven't really thought that it's a terrible problem, but have suggested I get a 67mm barrel for my Bb (also an R13). I haven't gotten around to this yet, but I'd imagine it would help a lot. I do, however, find that even though I usually pull out an absurd amount, it doesn't really affect my tone, and between that and embouchure adjustments/resonance fingerings for the worst notes, I can manage alright. My twelfths are actually not that bad, even before any adjustments, but they're obviously not perfect.
The problem isn't quite as bad on my A clarinet (also an R13, I think--it's on loan from school), but that could be a result of my using my 66 mm Bb barrel on it. You could try that for the A clarinet, sometimes it works out.
I play on a very old and abused 5RV (a couple of years of marching band back in high school, as well as a few years of what would probably be considered over-swabbing), and V12 3.5's. I'm thinking of trying 4's, since my 3.5's have seemed a bit soft lately and that might bring my pitch down a little. I'm also in the process of trying new mouthpieces, although they actually haven't helped the problem all that much (even the M13, which sounds great overall and is supposedly made for A 440, but for some reason doesn't lower my pitch all that much).
Also: it seems like the problem isn't my instrument--it's worse on the Bb, and I just got that overhauled by Wojtek Komsta, who did a great job. So it's probably me. Just add it to the list of hundreds of things I need to improve...
Tom
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: stevesklar
Date: 2007-11-19 07:27
have you tried playing someone elses clarinet with your mpc/reed for comparision?
Normally an "all of a sudden" issue is due to some mechanical problem. The A/B'ing with someone elses clarinet helps to identify that.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2007-11-19 20:44
i had this problem just a few weeks back and posted a question here at the bb, but i figured out the problem myself after some time in the practiceroom.
i was using to little airsupport with the same biting as i had when i used much air.
lol. that sounded crazy. but i'll try to explain.
when i use much air, i have to keep the emboshure more firm to not go way down the basement. im not saying im biting, there almost isn't even a mark on the lip!!
so when i get tired in my stomachmuscles or whatever im using, the pitch goes up.
its the same mechanics as when blowing pp instead of ff.
i could be all wrong. but that is my guess. try to use more very warm air. just as warm as when singing.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: benward
Date: 2007-11-23 16:57
I have tried playing on other horns and other mouthpieces. I noticed no difference. I am certain it is me and not the instrument.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
