 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Eugene
Date: 2001-02-20 01:45
I can play the full range from lowe-altissimo A on clarinet and lowBflat- altissimo F on alto sax but the alto clar. is different high c and above is the problem area Icant find the right pressure to hit these notes.When I try it only lasts a split second then changes to some weird tone that is very irratating
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-02-20 05:37
Make sure you're using the half-hole instead of lifting up the left hand index finger.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-02-20 19:39
Eugene -
It sounds like you have a small leak.
If the instrument has a double register-key mechanism, make sure the lower hole closes completely when you lift your right ring finger. Any leak there will throw out the altissimo. Also, check the pads near the top of the instrument, particularly the throat A and Ab.
Check the air-tightness of the mouthpiece/neck and neck/body joints. If either is loose, wrap a newspaper strip around the cork. For a more permanent fix, use dental tape (wide dental floss).
If you leave the reed on the mouthpiece when you put the instrument away (and shame on you if you do), the bottom of the reed will be squeezed against the table of the mouthpiece and warp down into the window. Run your finger over the bottom to feel if there's any impression. Also, the bottoms of wide reeds tend to warp even if they aren't left on the mouthpiece. The center-line area bulges down and the rail areas lift up.
Put a sheet of 400 grit wet-or-dry (black grit) sandpaper on a sheet of glass or other flat surface, and sand the bottom of the reed using moderate pressure. Put pressure on with 3 fingers on the bark (dampen them with saliva for friction), and don't touch the vamp. After a few strokes, lift up the reed and sight along the bottom. It will probably be polished down the middle and dull along the edges. Sand it completely flat.
If these solutions don't work, come back and we'll try something else.
Good luck.
Ken Shaw
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