 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rick77
Date: 2011-02-05 20:36
I'm a sax player who recently started playing clarinet as a double. I joined the local community concert band playing 3rd clarinet and am wondering if my E11 is going to be an adequate horn for the pieces we will be playing.
Two pieces in particular are I "Gandalf" and III "Gollum" from Lord Of The Rings. There are some exrtemely fast runs in both pieces that I'm concerned about. My clarinet technique is no where near as good as my saxophone technique but I'm chipping away at it by working hard in the Klose' book. I've been working at some of the fast runs in these pieces with a metronome and the keys on the E11 (especially the throat "A" key) seem to be limiting the speed of execution.
So do you experienced clarinet players have more trouble trying to execute these fast runs on a slightly step up student horn like the E11? I hope to get a nice used R13 on down the line but for now I'm stuck with this E11 and wondering if it's gonna make the cut, that is providing I get my technique up to par.
I've played the sax for 40 yrs and have been teaching myself clarinet but definitely plan to get a teacher a soon as possible as I don't want to develop bad habits. Clarinet is tricky!
Thanks!
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2011-02-05 20:44
Keywork I've found is smaller than the R-13 (bottom joint lower keywork), so it may give you some technical problems if you have decently sized adult hands.
Throat A key is also different.
Not that it's tiny though, you should be able to do fine with it.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
Post Edited (2011-02-05 20:45)
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2011-02-05 22:02
I've played some E11's that I would not hesitate to play on a professional gig!
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2011-02-05 22:50
I would consult a technician concerning the throat A. The touchpiece could be raised or lowered to better fit your hands.
A perfectly regulated, sensibly updated E11 can be a joy to play. Get yours fixed up just the way you like it and you may find it's all the clarinet you'll ever need.
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Author: rick77
Date: 2011-02-06 04:33
Thanks for the feedback guys! I wear size "large" in mens gloves but I don't think my hands are too big for the E11 keys. I've already come a long way in dealing with the throat keys but at the same time I realize that I have a long way to go to be totally fluent in playing through them.
I'm doing fine with the studies in the Klose' book but some of the runs in the Lord Of The Rings pieces are quite overwhelming for my limited clarinet technique. I'll just keep "chomping at the bit" and it will get a lot better as time goes by. It's good to know that the E11 will cover the gig.
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Author: rick77
Date: 2011-02-08 00:55
Upon close inspection of my E11 clarinet I see that the crack on the upper joint may be the culprit of this clarinet not having good response which is definitely hindering my ability to play certain fast passages.
There is a crack that goes from just above the left thumb hole all the way up the bottom of the upper joint. The barrel is cracked too. I used Gorilla glue a while back to fill in the crack but it's gotten worse over time.
I guess this clarinet is a goner. I filled in the crack where it had grown longer in hopes that it will get me by until I can get another clarinet.
I'm bummed out. I guess I'll just play my Bundy bass clarinet for a while if this quick fix is a failure.
Anybody got a spare E11 upper joint they could sell?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-02-08 07:37
A crack is not the end of the world... or the clarinet
More often it is cheaper to repair a crack than to replace a joint. I just saw a bass clarinet upper joint with more than ten cracks, one especially and unusually bad, but possible to save. Yours sound very mild in comparison with just a couple of "regular" cracks. A crack can ruin an instrument response if it's all the way through to the bore (which happens but not as common) or if it gets into a tone hole etc. and causes a leak.
Your gorilla glue fix will most likely prevent a leak from where you put the glue. I'm not sure what gorilla glue is. Generally it is preferable to glue cracks with super glue or epoxy (most prefer super glue). But don't just go and spill super glue on your clarinet... Equaly important is that the crack is clean without grease, so the glue can glue. Other repairs like pins or bands (the modern type) can be added. A repair might be a bit longer and trickier if there is already old glue to remove...
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Author: rick77
Date: 2011-02-08 10:14
Thanks for the info clarnibass! Gorilla Glue is a very strong resin type of glue but it doesn't set instantly like super glue. So if super glue is commonly used the Gorilla Glue should work really well.
It's 6:05 a.m. and I just woke up and the glue was dry enough that I could play test the horn. I cant really give it a full test with the wife asleep in the next room but the horn does seem to have much better response with the crack filled in. I may be in luck if the leaks are finally sealed. The glue is not cosmetically pleasing but I don't care about the appearance of this clarinet near as much as playability.
We'll see how this "shade tree" fix holds up.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-02-08 11:05
Usually very thin super glue is used, with the main point that it can penetrate to the bottom of the crack to really "hold" it. That's one reason that some glued cracks re-open. Super glue doesn't actually set that fast when used for this, only in very tiny gaps, like between two fingers... If the gorilla glue is not as thin, it will most likely only fill the top and won't hold the crack closed or stop it from growing. It might stop it from leaking (if it's really leaking) for now. Of course it's possible that the crack won't grow anymore regardless of any glue or repairs, but I would still prefer to have it repaired. If you were willing to buy a replacement joint, maybe you'd be ok with paying what is probably significantly less for the crack repair. Just what I would recommend.
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