 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: LesleyM
Date: 2012-06-20 13:19
Well, havign spent a year or so doubling on the E flat clarinet in my band I must be doing a good job as we now seem to play pieces where the E flat has a distinct presence and is not just a bit of frill added in now and again.
But, despite getting a new decent mouthpiece and having the clari serviced I am still having problems with the high C sharp (above the stave). All othe rnotes are fine and I can level the high ones into pitch (with addition of the RH pinky Eflat key). But the C sharp is a swine. I ply it quiet and it is fine but if I play it loud I feel somethign flickering in the sirflow and the intonation wobbles.
The instrument is fine and I have tried different mouthpieces and reeds so i guess it is me at fault. Any ideas?
Thanks
L
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2012-06-20 14:26
Thanks for a new word for a bad note on an instrument. A pig note. I like that.
The note is unstable in some way. Short of inventling a new fingering for it, something I do quite a bit on my Eb, my guess would be some problem in the left hand joint. Are the tone holes clean? Have you cleaned the register key pipe? Or, it could be just one pad that does not seat exactly. If none of this works take the advice of one of my teachers: take it up an octave and then leave it out.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bethmhil
Date: 2012-06-20 21:42
It's an awkward note... I have issues with it myself. For me, it often gets worse with softer reeds. When you get the "goldie locks reed", the note takes a faster, more intense air stream. Interestingly, I have issues with the same exact sounding pitch on B-flat clarinet-- a high concert E. The same thing happens-- the note breaks and makes ugly multiphonic-type sounds. Concentrating on the air stream, making it smaller, faster, and more intense fixes the problem for me immediately.
Over the years, I have gathered lots of funny words and analogies pertaining to the clarinet, but a "swine note" is a new one... I love it.
BMH
Illinois State University, BME and BM Performance
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-06-20 21:53
Make sure the pad on the first key in the lower joint is perfect. Covering all around the tone hole evenly, not always an easy feat, and no tiny tears on it at the rim. Then also check the tone hole to make sure there isn't a very slight tiny piece of splinter in the hole or on top by the pad, I'm talking about something you might not see if you just look at it without a magnifiy glass. It doesn't take much for that note not to play well, was that putting it nicely? If that falis you might consider having the tone hole below the pad undercut very slightly to see if that helps. All else fails, just leave out all your high C#. :-) ESP eddiesclarinet.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Campana
Date: 2012-06-20 22:29
...Thanks for a new word for a bad note on an instrument. A pig note. I like that.
...Over the years, I have gathered lots of funny words and analogies pertaining to the clarinet, but a "swine note" is a new one... I love it.
I think something has been lost in interprettation across the pond. Its not the note that's a swine. We use this description to describe a job not a thing...as in
"Trying to get the C# note to sound correctly is a swine"
"I dug that old tree up yesterday, it was a swine, my back still aches"
Very common expression this side of the pond
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
