 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: RCaterisano
Date: 2013-01-07 20:55
Hello,
I recently began to attend Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. It's very cold up here, so I'm worried about my clarinet cracking. Do you have any tips on what I can do to help keep my clarinet warm/insulated while walking between classes?
I'd rather not buy a new case.
Thanks!
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2013-01-07 21:11
You probably don't need a new case but I would definitely recommend looking into getting a good case cover. If money is tight you can even just wrap your case in a blanket and carry it in a backpack.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-01-07 21:20
Insulated food bags/carriers should do the trick - they're designed to retain heat, so getting hold of one of these that will accommodate a double case should do the trick.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: FDF
Date: 2013-01-07 23:22
Don't leave your clarinet outside in the snow.
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Author: hartt
Date: 2013-01-08 00:49
In the past, I'd use a small pram blanket. Mine was wool and replete with with fringe and in perfect condition...........60 yrs old and left over from nappy time in kindergaten
Of late I use a Pizza delivery bag. They will accomodate a double case + music, have zipper closure and handles. They are well insulated.
Ask around at pizza places for a good used one or, vist a resturant supply house.
I've numerous facrory, aftermarket case covers, single and double. I found none were sufficient for my need of short term cold weather protection.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2013-01-08 01:28
Warm the clarinet inside your coat if you can before playing. Never blow hot air into a cold instrument without a reed on the mouthpiece. Keep the instrument in your hands or lap, not on a floor stand.
Between classes, the pizza bag sounds good. Good luck!
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Author: annev
Date: 2013-01-08 13:47
Sometimes my clarinet is surprisingly cold when I arrive, even with car travel. I tuck the upper and lower joint, one on each side, inbetween my arm and ribs, for a few minutes, before setting up my music. It brings the clarinet to room temperature (even when I feel as cold as the clarinet!).
Post Edited (2013-01-08 13:50)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2013-01-08 14:56
Blowing 98.6-deg F into a wooden clarinet that is cold-soaked to 50-degF or so puts the wood at near it's cross-grain tensile failure point. The warming bore tries to expand against the cool outer wall, and pull the wood fibers apart on the outside of the clarinet.
That 49-deg F temperature difference is just a rough estimate of how much torture your clarinet can stand. It depends on the coefficient of thermal expansion and the fracture strength of the wood, and the affects of stress concentrations like post mounting holes and tone holes.
Obviously, clarinet crack with less torturous things happening to them.
I had a "no-problems before" 50-year old Buffet crack after taking it in a cold car to my lesson and starting to play. My teacher warms the joints of his horns in his armpits until they are warm to the touch before blowing into them. I've taken up that practice (and knock grenadilla) avoided further problems.
Don't blow a cold horn, and "cold" means not much below your breath temperature.
Bob Phillips
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Author: William
Date: 2013-01-09 15:16
While a clarinet major at the UW-Madison, I carried my clarinet after two hour Concert Band rehearsals up over Bascom Hill to the lakeshore dorms--a 15 min walk--for five years of good ole Wisconsin winters and it never cracked. That was back in the 60's and that same clarinet still is in one piece and plays like new. Bottom line, our clarinets are not a fragile as we worry they are--if you practice reasonable TLC your clarinet probably will not crack. If it does, then it was probably the result a flaw in the wood that no one can see. One of my college friends went to a lesson with a brand new Selmer clarinet, and upon opening the case in the warm professors studio, heard a loud snap!! The upper joint simply cracked before their eyes. Fortunately, the new instrument warrenty was still in effect, but still, a brand new clarinet--who would have guessed?
If your clarinet does crack, it is usually completely repairable and will continue to play the same as before. The secrete is to not play it until it is fixed by a good repairperson--like my "go to" tech, Mary Jones at Ward Brodt Music here in Madison.
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2013-01-10 12:42
A few years ago, I purchased an insulated backpack that was a food carrier. It looks just like a regular backpack. I got mine at Target but I'm sure Walmart, and similar stores carry these. Note: a pouchette case would fit in my insulated backpack but an ordinary case would not.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-01-10 14:34
I'm having the opposite problem, taking my clarinet from outside (42C,(107.6F) 15% humidity) into an air-conditioned room. No problems so far. It's even hotter in the boot of my car.
Tony F.
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2013-01-10 19:47
Tony, I heard on the U.S. National News last night about the terrific heat Australia is experiencing right now. You must feel miserable. I hope your car has A/C! You know, you could come visit your American cohorts and cool off for a while.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2013-01-11 15:35
Remember that with no heat source in an insulated case/box/backpack that ultimately the whole thing will come to ambient temperature. It won't keep the clarinet warm, but it will keep it from cooling as fast.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Fred Boreale
Date: 2013-01-11 19:28
Why not use some hand warmers, Stick them in your case or outer cover. Just shake them up and with in a few minutes they start to heat up when you are done just put them in a sealed plastic bag so no air gets to them and they will stop giving off heat, take them out of the bag and shake them again and they will be ready to go.
Do not put them right next to the horn as they will get pretty warm after awhile.
They work for me as I do wildlife photography and it get really cold in the woods here in New Jersey just standing around. I put them in my gloves and inside my shirt and in my boots and I stay nice and warm all day. You can buy them to last from 6 or 10 hours, Walmart or any sporting goods store sells them usually in the hunting dept. They are cheap.
Fred
fboreale@aol.com
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Author: donald
Date: 2013-01-11 20:47
Tony F- us Kiwis are complaining about our 23/25 degree weather, must be murder in Aussie... Here's an idea to cool off- buy beer! Lots of our liqour stores have a big walk in Beer fridge, great to visit. Once (a few years back) i was driving home in Auckland heat and stopped off to buy beer and found about 15 people (i later found out they were all "locals") standing in the beer cooler room chatting, the shop owner told me they'd been in there for 30min...
d
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