 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: xAmburritoo
Date: 2009-04-02 01:10
i'm a freshman in high school,
currently sitting first chair in the wind ensemble.
whenever i play an open g, or an a, its REALLY buzzy.
all my other notes sound great.
it sounds like there's a ripped pad, but its not. :/
my director checked all the pads, they look fine.
my private lesson teacher double-checked all the pads.
i even went to a music store and asked them to take a look at it;
they couldn't find anything wrong.
we tried a different;
-instrument
-ligature
-mouthpiece
-reed
today at my lesson,
we cleaned out the finger holes, and there was some gunk in them, but it only improved the situation a little bit.
i have no idea what to do.
help?
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2009-04-02 01:56
For starters, did anyone actually take any keys off to check pads or just eyeball them from the side with the keys still mounted?
Karl
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2009-04-02 03:15
Look at the pad cup underneath the throat A key. Sometimes it doesn't open enough to vent the air around the pad. Did you have it re padded recently? Maybe you have something you missed blocking one of the tone holes. IDK, it's hard to diagnose w/o the instrument in hand.
____________________
Ryder Naymik
San Antonio, Texas
"We pracice the way we want to perform, that way when we perform it's just like we practiced"
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Author: xAmburritoo
Date: 2009-04-02 11:15
they were still mounted when both my director and lesson teacher checked them.
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Author: xAmburritoo
Date: 2009-04-02 11:17
my lesson teacher said that she thinks the throat A key is actually going up too high over the hole, and that i could get it adjusted with more cork so it doesn't go up as much, but that was just for tuning purposes.
would that help at all with my buzzy problem?
i didn't have it repadded, at least not that key,
i had the side-keys done though.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2009-04-02 12:25
If there was some gunk in the tone holes, probably there's gunk in the register key tube, too. A little piece of crud clinging near the inside edge of the tube and flapping in the breeze can buzz up the throat tones on notes like open G and third-space A and A-flat, even when you're not using the register key. That key is the easiest one on the clarinet to take off and replace without affecting other keys. Try taking it off and rooting around gently in the metal tube with a pipe cleaner (the all-soft kind, not the type with the metal bristles built in).
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-04-02 16:06
Given the situation, I would say that it is a crack in the pad just under the "A" key. You really need to take the key off to see the surface of the pad properly. Of course, the repair person will need to replace the pad.
Minor repair
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2009-04-02 16:54
I would also suggest that before you look for anything more exotic, someone really needs to take the keys off the instrument and get a better look at the pads. A small tear in the middle can definitely cause the buzz you're describing and may not be visible from the side.
Karl
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2009-04-02 20:54
to xAmb~,
You said in the first post that you tried a different instrument. Was the open G still buzzy then?
Also, what mouthpiece/reed setup are you using?
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2009-04-02 21:59
Pads buzz most when the membrane is split for half the distance around the sealing line. Often this cannot be seen without removing the key.
Pad sometimes buzz if the membrane is somewhat loose, and also stiff - no longer any elasticity. (cigarette smoke can do this to them.)
"my lesson teacher said that she thinks the throat A key is actually going up too high over the hole, and that i could get it adjusted with more cork so it doesn't go up as much, but that was just for tuning purposes. would that help at all with my buzzy problem?"
The less you get a pad to open, the more chance of introducing a buzz. A harder reed will also highlight an existing buzz.
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Author: xAmburritoo
Date: 2009-04-02 22:17
"If there was some gunk in the tone holes, probably there's gunk in the register key tube, too. A little piece of crud clinging near the inside edge of the tube and flapping in the breeze can buzz up the throat tones on notes like open G and third-space A and A-flat, even when you're not using the register key. That key is the easiest one on the clarinet to take off and replace without affecting other keys. Try taking it off and rooting around gently in the metal tube with a pipe cleaner (the all-soft kind, not the type with the metal bristles built in)."
thanks, i'll try that this weekend.
"You said in the first post that you tried a different instrument. Was the open G still buzzy then?
Also, what mouthpiece/reed setup are you using?"
it was a little buzzy still, but it was much better.
i'm using a Vandoren M30 mouthpiece,
and Gonzalez 3 3/4 strength reed.
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i'm going to take it to get it looked at this weekend,
my director is out of town until monday, and we have pre-UIL competition wednesday.
i'll have them take off the keys and look.
thanks so much,
it's helped a lot. :D
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