 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jameslyons
Date: 2008-05-20 21:24
Hi all,
I've been playing a Armstrong Student Bb clarinet (plastic) 4001 for several months now. I haven't had any trouble with it until today when I entered the practice halls of my university.
I play pretty regularly 2-3 hours a day and feel confident on note and tone production between the low E and high F, but today I couldn't produce a mid-E!
Instead of an E, my clarinet made an E-flat noise. Again and again. One thumb on the the thumbhole key and one finger on the first hole = E flat! What the hell? Has this happened to anyone else. What the fudge is going on?
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Author: klarenet
Date: 2008-05-20 21:26
That happened to me on alto last year. It turns out that the pad between the first and second holes was stuck down, causing the E to sound as an Eb. As soon as I adjusted the rod, everything played fine. Maybe this is happening to your clarinet too?
Karen
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-05-20 22:03
also, the spring may have unhooked from the key that is pushed by the mid-finger left hand.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-05-20 22:52
"I haven't had any trouble with it until today when I entered the practice halls of my university."
Was your clarinet really cold when you started practicing?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-05-21 00:06
Check the rod that holds the E key in place. Also chech the screw/pin at the bottom of the D key section. They may be too lose, or to tight. both will cause the problem you are experiencing. If that isn't the problem your pads probably are.
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Author: Jameslyons
Date: 2008-05-21 07:29
Thanks for all your suggestions! Unfortunately, my clarinet wasn't too warm or too cold, there wasn't any water in the body, bell, barrel, or mouthpiece, and from what I can tell, the metal screws and springs are in the same position as before.
I'm taking it to a shop tomorrow, and I hope whatever it is won't be too expensive or time-consuming (final next week).
Thanks again, everybody. I really appreciate all your input. This is a great board for information. I found a new tool to procrastinate with!
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Author: Jameslyons
Date: 2008-05-22 04:21
UPDATE ****
I took my clarinet into a small family-owned music shop today, and the shopkeeper repaired my instrument in five minutes. A spring had come loose in the upper joint causing the tonal shift.
My pads also needed repair, but as it was a poor Chinese model, it would be better to just upgrade the instrument. He let me try out a used Yamaha student model and it sounded ten times better.
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2008-05-22 06:53
This sounds like a guy you should stick with. Just a hunch.
Small, family-owned, shopkeeper did the work himself, in five minutes -- as opposed to a chain store sending it out and you having to wait two weeks to get it back.
He probably fixed up that Yamaha himself. Sounds like my repair guy. Knows how to make stuff play.
Steve Epstein
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