 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sdr
Date: 2009-12-09 03:15
I have an R13 Greenline with very nice intonation but one particularly annoying habit -- the altissimo D (D6) shrieks out brighter and louder than every other note on the horn. I try hard to rein it in by backing off whenever I play it, but I have considerable difficulty keeping it under control. Is this fixable? Is there some magic adjustment to pad or key or tone hole or bore that could bring this note's intensity in line with all the others?
And while we're on the subject of unruly notes, my F4 is stuffy -- just the opposite of my D6 problem. Any suggestions for this one?
Thanks.
-sdr
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2009-12-09 04:04
Since none of the experts have replied yet I'll chime in. High D....try less rise on Eb key if possible without making Eb and low G# intolerable. High F... ..open up g#/c# key if possible. Without doing mechanical changes......leave little finger off high D and try alternate high F fingering . I'm sure there will be better fixes for all this.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: kdk
Date: 2009-12-09 12:43
You have to keep in mind that any mechanical changes you nake to the clarinet to damp D6 or sharpen F4 (which is the thumb F, not "high" F) will affect the correspnding harmonics as well.
For the D (especially if it's also sharp) you can try not opening the D#/Eb key. Or you can try half-holing the LH index finger. If that helps, putting a little tape in the hole on the bottom side (to avoid flattening it) or around the top (if it's also sharp) might cool it down, but maybe at the expense of pitch or sound quality on F4, which is already a problem for you.
It should go without saying to make sure the trill keys and the throat A and A#/Bb keys are sealing well.
It could be that your sensation of shriekiness on D6 and the stuffiness of F4 are really symptomatic of the same problem in the size or undercutting of the LH index finger tone hole. Without hearing the problem my understanding of your descriptions suggests that fixing one problem may aggravate the other, though. Also, if you raise the pitch on F4 you will also raise it on C6, making an almost ubiquitous problem on Boehm system clainets worse.
Other possibilities could include using softer pad material in the register key and the upper trill keys, but whatever you do in this respect to damp D6 will have an effect on other notes in the area as well in both the clarion and altissimo registers. You won't know what the consequences are of any fiddling with the instrument itself until you've tried.
Keep in mind, too, that reed resistance has effects that sometimes are audible on specific notes. D6 is, on most of the clarinets I've played, a tad freer than the notes just above it (as are Bb4 and F5, but I find it more pronounced on high D), so it tends to be easier blowing than the others even when my reed is less responsive. And F4 is one of the first notes on my clarinets to start sounding airy and feeling stuffy with a more resistant reed. So experimenting with slight differences in reed strength might (no guarantees) smooth out the differences.
I'm sure there are other possibilities as well. By the time I've finished writing this, maybe some of the techs will have posted their ideas.
Karl
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Author: RAB
Date: 2009-12-09 14:08
HI I hope these suggestion helps.
I would check the opening height of the thumb vent key. You can try changing it by not opening it as far as it is opening now and see if that helps.
If you have a cork pad on the vent key and it is not beveled I would consider beveling it and seeing how that works.
Also have someone check it for leaks using a feelers gauge. (Any tiny leaks can cause problems) Make sure the 1 & 1 fingering is correct and the ring pad on the lower joint is not slightly open. Check the Eb/Ab pad opening on the lower joint. It should not opening as far as the other large pads on the lower joint. ( check the intonation with a tuner to see if the Eb and Ab are in tune relative to the surrounding notes and of course listen for a "stuffy" sound on these 2 notes)
I would do a intonation chart on the instrument noting each note as to how far flat or sharp each note is. Do this a few times with different reeds to make sure it is accurate. This is very valuable in case someone has to undercut or fill in a tone hole.
Hope this helps
RAB
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-12-09 23:21
I'd suggest trying as many different barrels as you can, some will definitely make a difference in the upper register of the clarinet. As far as the single notes, it could be a key not opening enough or needing a hole undercut. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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