 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kim L.
Date: 2001-02-21 01:41
I am a college student and have two performances coming up in two weeks. One is solo and the other is a concert(band/wind ensemble). I just found that my clarinet has cracked. Should I take the risk and wait the two weeks instead of buying the new instrument and breaking it in? Opinions anyone?
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Author: Ashley
Date: 2001-02-21 01:58
My clarinet cracked on saturday, 2 hours before my college audition, and i auditioned (rather well) on a cracked horn. get it checked w/ a repair tech.. if it still plays, and the repair guy doesnt think it will crack more, go with it. if you can get it glued or pinned or whatever in time enough, do that. If i had the means to get a new clarinet right now, right after my clarinet cracked, i would do so (if my clarinet werent brand new and still under the 90-day guarantee). do whatever works best...
~ashley~
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Author: William
Date: 2001-02-21 14:35
When you switch to a different (new) instrument, the "breaking in" period is really, very much, you getting used to accoustical properties of the "new" instrument and learning how to cope with those "certain" notes and resistance tendencies of register changes, etc, etc. There is also the problem of breaking in the key mechanizms so that they are up to speed and not stiff, as most new clarinets are. If it were me, for the above reasons, I would not want to perform in a solo situation on a clarinet that I was unfamiliar with. A wind ensemble situation I could accept, but not a solo. My advice is to have your cracked clarinet repaired--pinned or glued, whichever is deemed best by your repairperson--and then, after your required performances, make the decision wheither to purchase new or not. Good clarineting!!!!!!!!!
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-02-22 22:55
William wrote:
>
> When you switch to a different (new) instrument, the
> "breaking in" period is really, very much, you getting used to
> accoustical properties of the "new" instrument and learning how
> to cope with those "certain" notes and resistance tendencies
> of register changes, etc, etc. There is also the problem of
> breaking in the key mechanizms so that they are up to speed and
> not stiff, as most new clarinets are. If it were me, for the
> above reasons, I would not want to perform in a solo situation
> on a clarinet that I was unfamiliar with. A wind ensemble
> situation I could accept, but not a solo. My advice is to have
> your cracked clarinet repaired--pinned or glued, whichever is
> deemed best by your repairperson--and then, after your required
> performances, make the decision wheither to purchase new or
> not. Good clarineting!!!!!!!!!
If the repairman fixes the crack in only two weeks, it may not be a good repair. The horn needs to sit a while so the the crack can "relax" as much as possible and close down. This may take several weeks.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-02-23 12:29
"....There is also the problem of breaking in the key mechanisms so that they are up to speed and not stiff, as most new clarinets are. ..."
It is a disgrace to manufacturers and many repairers that this notion has ever been accepted by players. If a clarinet is well adjusted there is absolutely no 'breaking in' period. I believe that what people call 'breaking in' or 'playing in' period is the time it takes for the player to adjust to the maladjustment of the instrument and press certain keys harder, most commonly especially left hand B centre stave.... Also to modify air pressure and embouchure to make slight compensations for inadequate venting... Also coming to accept the feel of poor spring set up and slightly binding pivots.
Then, often many years later, a CAPABLE repairer finally puts these things right. So often I have heard a player say that his clarinet NEVER went this well before, or that he never knew that his clarinet COULD go so well. many players never experience how well their instrument could go.
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