 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: marshall
Date: 2008-03-11 22:04
Last summer I bought a Buffet Festvial A clarinet, and I am now beginning to find through my warmups that the chalumeau D is consistantly between 15 and 20 cents sharp. I was wondering if, since this note sounds through a tone hole, there is any way to remedy this, or if I just have to get used to voicing D's down on this instrument.
Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Post Edited (2008-03-11 22:05)
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-03-12 00:29
Well you've got my envy...'cause mine is ten cents flat!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-03-12 01:11
Put a few pieces of tape on the top half of the hole immediately below the D. Check the 12th above so that A doesn’t get too flat. I’d suggest you start with two pieces of electrical tape and add as necessary. Make sure it is thin enough so it doesn’t protrude into the bore of the clarinet. Just a thin piece will do on the top half of the hole. If it's flat Tobin, have the tone hole undercut. ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2008-03-12 06:33
you two should trade. =)
have you tried pulling the mid section of the clarinet out by 2mm? that will probably help, but put your other notes on the flat side.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2008-03-12 14:02
Yes, a MINOR shrinking of the "sounding" tone hole should do it, then, as suggested, check the clarion A. I think I would try to reduce the "rise" of the top pad on the lower joint [thicker pad, cork?, adjust bridge linkage!] first tho. HELP ! Just AM thots. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-03-12 14:46
Yep, Ed, that's pretty much my only option.
I am holding off until I have stabilized with my embouchure change...probably another couple of months. I switched to double lip several months ago.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2008-03-12 16:33
Marshall -
How's the clarion A? If they're both sharp, then the fix is easy. If the A is in tune, though, you need to go to someone who knows how to lower the D without affecting the A. This will probably involve both making the hole smaller and undercutting it (perhaps at an angle "upstream" or "downstream") and maybe even fiddling with the bore. This is specialized and expert work, which you can't do yourself.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ken Mills
Date: 2008-03-14 22:40
The tone hole for the emmission of the D is the best hole on the whole instrument to work on, no finger ring or walls. So you can enlarge it real easily, that side of the hole that faces south. By making it larger without starting the hole closer to the top of the instrument, it will actually lower the pitch. I learned this from some Selmer literature. Also the note D is not vented well enough anyway because the Db hole is normally closed.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2008-03-17 08:23
If it were flat relative to the top A, the fix would be a simple undercutting of the tonehole with a standard tool. If it is high relative to the A, it may be best to get an expert tuner to fix it. It may also affect the top F#.
Perhaps it was undercut too much in the factory, raising the D too much, and the fix could be filling up the undercut area with an appropriate epoxy, redrilling and reundercutting as needed to tune it.
Is it possible that there is some problem with the register key tube? Good luck!
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-03-17 12:17
Ken Mills- "By making it larger without starting the hole closer to the top of the instrument, it will actually lower the pitch."
So if you make it bigger on the bell side, the pitch will be lower than before?
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2008-03-18 02:49
Making the hole larger, raises the pitch. effectively placing it further down the instrument lowers the pitch. You need to be aware that you are playing with both these factors at once.
Also, you need to be aware that you will be altering the note in the other register as well. And possibly other notes, by altering the effective bore diameter at that point.
You really need to have the expertise to know how it may affect any other notes (and indeed, tone) before you start messing with such things. Otherwise it is largely guess work.
Clarinets are designed with many compromises, to accommodate a huge range of interacting parameters, much more complex than the average "tinkerer" might imagine.
Post Edited (2008-03-18 02:50)
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