 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: julceyyxd
Date: 2012-09-13 12:27
All of my throat tones are always so fuzzy, and quite frankly spitty, sounding. I don't know if it's my embouchure, reed, direction of air flow, LACK of air flow, but no matter what I do nothing fixes it.
I don't think that it's the clarinet because I just got a brand new Buffet and throat tones are STILL fuzzy.
Post Edited (2012-09-16 02:58)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-09-13 13:09
There are a number of possibilities.
- Have you checked (or had someone else check) the tone holes in the throat area and the register tube for dirt?
- What reed strength are you using on what mouthpiece? Have you tried softer reeds to see what the effect is on your throat notes? It has been my experience consistently that the first notes to go "fuzzy" and out of focus when I am trying to play on a sub-optimally responsive reed are the throat notes.
- You don't mention "resonance" fingerings and whether or not they improve the sound of the notes you're having trouble with. Some clarinets are better than others in their natural throat response, so the need for extra fingers closing lower holes as you play throat notes varies from instrument to instrument.
There are other possibilities, but these are the easiest to check without risking adding counterproductive physical stresses that can come from experimenting too aggressively with embouchure and blowing changes, especially if your current approach is producing good results over the rest of the instrument.
Karl
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2012-09-13 14:20
Check the venting. I had the same problem ever since my instruments came back after a suspect overhaul. The throat G, G#, E have all been "fuzzy". I've worked with it for 12 months but I've had enough gonna try and get it sorted today.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-09-13 14:49
If the problem is primarily Bb(4), you can check to see if too little register key venting is at fault by simply taking the register key off and finding if Bb is any better. But the register key is closed for the other throat notes, so the register key itself isn't likely to be the cause of fuzz in F# - A. Even if removing the register key turns out to improve Bb, it may not be wise to try to open the key - anything you do to the register key opening will also affect everything above the break. Opening the key may have unwanted consequences over the rest of the instrument's clarion and altissimo notes.
Individual key heights of the A, G# and the top pad under the A key (controlled by the LH first finger ring) might also be causing (some) the problem you describe. Evaluating this could be done by taking each key off entirely to see if an improvement results. Undercutting the tone holes might also help if the problem is tone holes that are too small to produce a clear tone. But there are pitch consequences to doing this as well (the affected notes will be sharper), although only on the throat notes themselves, since the throat keys are closed for all other notes on the instrument. These are things that are better left to a skilled technician.
Karl
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2012-09-13 15:08
Check that you don't have a build-up of crud in the vent tube.
Tony F.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-09-15 03:32
Check to see if the first pad in the top joint, the one that goes down for the F#, is sitting high enough. If that pad is sitting too low it will cause all the throat tone notes to sound fussy. It could also be that one of the pads in the upper joint has a slight tear in it and it's "vibrating" when you play making a fussy sound. If that's high enough and there's not a leak or a tear in any of the pads I'd suggest you try some different barrels to see if that solves the problem. It could be a problem in the bore of the barrel.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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