 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: hans
Date: 2012-03-14 21:46
I am experiencing a new problem and hope that someone can point me to the solution.
My altissimo E has become unstable. There is no problem in playing that note, or higher ones, but a sustained note wants very much to become a squeak. The repair tech returned it after making a bridge adjustment but that didn't improve the problem.
My instrument is a Selmer Recital; it used to "sing" that note beautifully. My normal mouthpiece is a 5RV with a 2.5 Legere reed and Optimum ligature. I have tried other mouthpieces (original equipment Selmer and a B40 Lyre) and the original equipment Selmer lig but the instability was not affected.
Hans
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-03-14 22:14
How're your reeds? Do you know how to balance them?
If not, go here...Tom Ridenour How to Adjust a Reed Youtube and watch it. He has some very good basic tests to test your reed balance.
Then flatten the back of the reed by polishing it on a piece of paper - put a piece of paper on something completely flat (piece of glass, book cover, flat table, etc.), place the flat side down on the paper, gently place three fingers on the reed (tip, middle, and butt), and slide it back and forth or in circles, or any which way to polish the back of the reed.
My thinking is that if the change in mouthpiece doesn't change it, quite possible it's a reed issue. Also, have you ever tried a size 3? I think a 2.5 might be on the very light side for a 5RV.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: hans
Date: 2012-03-15 00:05
Thanks for the suggestion. Legere reeds are plastic and very consistent. I've used them for 5 or 6 years.
I tried a Zonda 2.5 to see if cane might make a difference but the result was the same and it seems like the problem is with the clarinet itself somehow. When I took it in to the tech I tried a Yamaha with gold plated keys (I assume that's a decent level instrument?) with my 5RV and had no problem sustaining any altissimo notes including the second C above the staff. Maybe I should just buy that one....
Hans
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-03-15 00:08
I'm thinking it's an issue with the pad above your second left finger. Has the height of the ring of the second finger changed (too low and pad won't close properly, too high and your finger won't completely cover the second tone hole)?
Or perhaps there is a minute leak caused by a tear in the CREASE of the pad (you'd need to take the key off and inspect this carefully to really see it).
The bridge mechanism is not germane in this case anyway.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-03-15 00:12
Bah. legere reed. Shame on me for overlooking that (in my defense, haven't slept in about 36 hours). I'm out. Leak sounds like it could cause it though, as the higher you go, the more likely the leak with affect your sound and cause squeaks.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-03-15 00:33
What are the notes around it like? D, Eb, F? Is there any problem with G a 6th lower?
Karl
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-03-15 00:35
Alexi -
He's using a Legere reed. Any attempt to adjust one will ruin it by raising the fibers it's made of.
Hans -
Legeres do warp and wrinkle at the tip if they're left on the mouthpiece. I'd suggest trying a cane reed or another Legere. Also, try your mouthoiece and reed on anothe clarinet. It certainly appears that it's a clarinet problem. I would take the instgrument back to your repair tech and have it checked for leaks. Also, if the throat Ab key is open even a little, it can make altissimo E jump up to the A above. The cure may be as simple as backing out the adjustment screw on the throat A key.
Ken Shaw
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Author: hans
Date: 2012-03-15 00:56
Thank you all for your thoughts.
Below altissimo E it plays normally. F and up seems OK.
The A and Ab key are both seating well and there are no leaks evident from closing the joint and pressurizing it, but I'm going to look for my leak light to see if I can find a pad issue. The ring may be keeping the pad between the first two fingers from seating as tightly as it should, as Paul suggested.
I might need to play the Moonlight Serenade solo with it on Saturday so unfortunately there is no time to go back to the repair tech. Murphy's Law...
Hans
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2012-03-15 01:11
Get a third person and have them apply slight pressure on whatever pads MIGHT be the cause while you play. If you find the one that keeps it from squeaking, that's the one. And if you can't get it fixed by Saturday, find a genius way to hook up a rubber band to keep that pad down all the way or something....
Or borrow another instrument for the gig?
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-03-15 02:17
hans wrote:
> Below altissimo E it plays normally. F and up seems OK.
>
> The ring may be keeping the pad between the first two
> fingers from seating as tightly as it should, as Paul
> suggested.
There really is only one place I can see, staring at the clarinet in my hands, that could affect *only* altissimo E and not be screwing up C#, D, Eb, F or F#. Any leak above the middle joint should make everything below it unstable to one extent or another, especially D and C#/Db. Unless your E is more prone to problems anyway and you're only noticing that because the other fingerings around it are easier blowing to begin with.
Look at the pad and the hole it closes just above *RH* 1st finger. If the pad is not open enough, or a piece of the pad skin or some other debris is partially interfering with the tone hole when the pad is up (as it is for E), that would be the most likely explanation, although by rights it should also make G5 and C4 stuffy as well. Look also for dirt in the tone hole itself. None of this would affect Eb, D or C# because then the pad is closed and a small obstruction in the hole wouldn't matter.
Karl
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