 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DanielJWY
Date: 2014-04-22 04:56
Hi whoever's kind enough to read this,
I've recently acquired a new Yamaha Advantage clarinet because my old one would no longer make a sound after playing it for five years and it plays beautifully. However, the middle B, I hope I'm naming the all keys pressed down and one side key note, sometimes starts off sounding like a hollow squeak (sounds like a duck quack) and sometimes it works. I don't think the key's bent because the low E plays completely fine. I find this to be kind of odd, could anybody offer some advice?
-Daniel
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2014-04-22 05:05
It sounds like the crows foot below the right pinky b/c# keys is out of adjustment. Try to wedge a small piece of paper between the B key and the crows foot and see if that helps.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2014-04-22 05:55
On new instruments of most brands, it is almost standard that the F/C and E/B pads close securely at the back (i.e. key-hinge) side of the pad, while still leaking at the front side.
The B is a much fussier note (regarding leaks) than the E, so that is why the problem appears for the B. It is also normal for a B problem to be significantly worse for the left hand fingering than the right.
There is little point in adjusting the "timing" of the two keys, by experienced bending (preferable) or by stuffing band-aid material above the crowsfoot, until these pad/key alignment issues (with their tone holes) have been attended to.
Your new instrument needs servicing. Most new clarinets do!
You older instrument is just fine. It just needs servicing. It seems absurd to condemn a five year old instrument because it needs routine servicing! I'll take it off your hands to relieve you of the problem, for $20. 
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Author: DanielJWY
Date: 2014-04-23 06:49
Thanks to both of you for the advice. I'll get the clarinet serviced asap. I'm still going to keep the old clarinet and probably get it fixed, so I can do some tinkering and piece comparison with it and just practice with it if I leave my main clarinet at school and I feel too lazy too bring it. I just got the new instrument because the Fujiyama clarinet is not too great in my opinion. Also, what is the crowfoot that you guys are mentioning? Finally, I'm wondering if reverse ligatures are better than the metal ones because I have a $50 gift card to use from where I got my instrument, which I could use to investing in a new ligature.
-Daniel
Post Edited (2014-04-23 06:52)
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2014-04-23 17:56
I'm an agnostic on the subject of ligatures, but re. the crow's foot: Look at the group of four key levers (two above, two below) that you press with the little-finger of your right hand. The crow's foot is that gizmo shaped like a broad, blunt (often rounded) two-pronged fork, directly underneath the two lower levers. It does get out of whack sometimes, and often its bumper-cork will deteriorate over time. That's an easy, inexpensive fix for the technician, btw -- not something to worry about.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2014-04-23 22:26
Another possibility: Maladjustment of the bridge key so that the uppermost pad on the lower joint is not quite sealing completely. Although you might think this would affect both the chalumeau and middle ("clarinet"?) registers equally, we all know that the lowest register is more tolerant of leaks and other shenanigans than the higher registers; so that the low E may seem fine but the middle B might not speak easily. This is a very common problem on bass clarinets, anyway.
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