 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Melanie
Date: 2001-03-22 02:34
Hi friends!
I'm playing in a production of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel this weekend, and our pit is absolutely FREEZING! So in addition to my A being frigid when I pick it up after long periods on Bb, the extreme cold is causing water to condense like mad in the most obnoxious holes. I feel like an oboe player blowing water out, siphoning it with cigarette paper, and finally swabbing the whole thing when I get frustrated with it all. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Melanie
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Author: John Gibson (the other one)
Date: 2001-03-22 04:10
For one thing, musicians should not have to put up with cold temperatures. It is bad for everyone's instrument and makes intonation difficult. The best thing is to try to fix that. Some of the musician contracts I have worked under have specified reasonable temperature ranges. Are you putting your horn on a stand? If you lay it down, that can cause water problems. If not, swapping frequently is about all you can do. Good Luck!
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Author: Melanie
Date: 2001-03-22 04:27
John,
Everyone sits on stands when I'm not playing them. The temperatures are wreaking havoc on string tuning, too. It's awful!
Melanie
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2001-03-22 13:09
Has anyone talked to whomever is in charge? I would think that the play's director and producer would like the musicians to play at their best and in tune. Try to get your conductor to talk to someone.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-03-22 13:14
1. Swab ever time you have a long rest.
2. Consider a box with a hollow clarinet spike mounted over a hole in it. A light bulb (Battery powered) in the box provides heated air up the bore while the clarinet is on the spike. I have one customer who uses this for her 'A' while playing the Bb.
3. You could try applying 3M Company's Scotch-guard inside the tone holes with a cotton bud or pipe cleaner, to repel the water. I tried it with no ill effects.
4. Oil the bore - use Doctors Products bore oil.
5. Recorder players have been known to do the opposite - apply a trace of detergent, so that the water spreads on a surface rather thatn running into tone holes.
Good luck. Tuning must be difficult! Get the flutes to tune to you because their tuning is more flexible than yours. (I am primarily a flute player)
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Author: Terry Horlick
Date: 2001-03-22 14:01
Why not get one of those little portable heaters with fan? You could put it pointing at the horns and your feet. You may need a heavy extension cord to stretch to a wall circuit. When the orchestra fills up with heaters and starts blowing all the breakers the producer may just have to turn the thermostat on!
By the way, you might want to have a fire extinguisher along just in case!
(^:
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-03-22 14:26
Melanie -
Even if your A clarinet doesn't work at its best with your Bb barrel, switching mouthpiece and barrel will at least let you have those parts warm.
When I play recorder (which I do a lot), I take the one I'll need next and put the head joint in my armpit to warm it up. With a clarinet, I lay it along my body from hip to shoulder under my jacket.
You could also make a "clarinet cozy" with several potholders and some safety pins.
I'd be very careful about heat sources. Inside the bore, or under a cover, the temperature can rise quickly and you could burn the pads or even scorch the wood.
For water draining into holes, go to a tobacco store and get a pack of pipe cleaners. Bend about 1/16" at the end of one to a 90 degree angle, put a drop of bore oil on it and, with the bore dry, paint a semi-circle of oil on the bore above the hole that's causing trouble. This will deflect the condensation around the hole. It also helps to keep the instrument vertical on a stand rather than laying it down. If you do lay it down, make sure that the lowest point runs between the thumb rest and the left-hand lettle finger keys, which keeps the low C# hole (usually the worst offender) pointing upward.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Melanie
Date: 2001-03-22 17:53
To Everyone:
Thanks for your suggestions thus far. Unfortunately, I can't swab as frequently as I like because I'm also covering the bass clarinet part, so when I rest on soprano, I immediately grab the bass and play it. The heaters, while a good idea, won't work because we have almost maxed out all available outlets for stand lights. We have extension cords plugged into extension cords plugged into extension cords -- the fire marshal would have a field day with the place! I asked about any type of temperature control for the pit, and apparently in this auditorium, there is only one main heater and air conditioner. Once the audience is in place, having the heat on would fry them, since heat rises. The managers keep the whole place cold to be kind to the audience.
I will be bringing several extra blankets tonight to keep everyone warm, and I'll see how that works.
With this update, does anyone have any other ideas?
In frigid desperation,
Melanie
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Author: Ken
Date: 2001-03-22 19:20
I know Mike Hammer of Philadelphia came up with a method where he actually gets inside the horn and gently applies scratches or little gullies, forming a "Y" around the bad water holes....aka upper joint right stack, Eb/Bb, side F#, Bb/B natural, etc as well as the A/Ab tear drop keys. The spit drips down/follows the crevices avoiding the tone holes altogether. He doesn't charge much for the process either from what I remember, very good system and harmless to the wood.
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Author: Contragirl
Date: 2001-03-24 07:29
I have heard of a way to just use bore oil to channel the water down the horn too, although the y grooves would be more permanent, I guess it can work as well. I also heard that cork pads fix that somehow too, even though I never noticed a dramatic decrease in spittle in the keys.
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