 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: cox91
Date: 2014-05-08 00:19
I was playing in band class today and discovered that my clarinet sounds somewhat lower than all the other clarinets so I took it home and tried tuning it for the first time. So I got a tuning app and played my C and it said that my C sounded like an A#. I know what to do if your note sounds sharp or flat but it says im playing an A so I have no idea what to do. I got all the other tuning apps because I wasnt sure if it was just that app but most of them said that I was playing an A# too. If someone could please help me out that would be great. And by the way, it also isn't my embouchure thats the problem. And also I have a wooden clarinet and I know it has a better tone but I wouldn't think it would contribute to its pitch.
Post Edited (2014-05-08 00:21)
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2014-05-08 00:36
That's what it's supposed to sound like in "concert" pitch. That's what a piano (or flute or violin or...etc.) will play (A#=Bb) when a Bb clarinet plays its C.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-05-08 01:03
So.....all the other players are sharp?
Bob Draznik
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-05-08 05:13
Without a tuner, how did you arrive at the conclusion that you sounded LOWER than everyone else? If you pulled out the barrel and it sounded worse, I would agree.
There IS a tendency for clarinets (these days) to sound lower in band compared to trumpets (particularly) and other brass. If this was your first experience in ensemble, your teacher can help you develop your technique so as to play more up to pitch (though watching your tuner as you practice at home is a good idea).
This should get better with experience, though a shorter barrel wouldn't hurt.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-05-09 01:06
We all know that over the past hundred years the favored orchestral pitch across the world has been moving up. I read that in the early part of the twentieth century it was as low as 436, 438. Now it's more like 442 or 443 in Asia and Europe. Who knows where it will end?
I've always favored playing ever-so-slightly sharp to get that little sparkle across the range. Playing exactly in tune sounds dead to me. It must be my hearing. I read that the Japanese have trouble hearing treble sounds, so their instruments, amplifiers, and speakers favor the high end.
I seem to hear a lot of very good clarinetists playing what I would call 'flat' in the clarion register. Guess I'm not hearing the upper partials.
b>
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-05-09 02:03
Dear Bruno,
If you have perfect pitch, please disregard the following.
There may be a chance that you are confusing the timbre with the pitch. As we (we as in clarinet players that is) squeeze and or pinch up to move our pitch higher (in the heat of battle) we are typically in an area of timbre that has more overtones in it. The trick is to have all that extra stuff in our sound with our comfortable middle ground embouchure stance. Mostly for me, it is a matter of pushing the air actively, and focusing that air column properly. The final part of the puzzle for me was using the tip of the tongue on the very tip of the reed. This posture puts that final focus of air right at the very tip of the reed/mouthpiece system achieving the best possible sound.
As for orchestras, Germany has been using A=445 for as long as I can remember. I believe it is coming from string players mostly who feel as you state, that this gives them more "sizzle" or "oomph" or something like that. Orchestras in the states kinda push the pitch a little but I don't believe they do it "officially."
..........Paul Aviles
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Author: AAAClarinet
Date: 2014-05-09 03:05
At what point will shorter barrels no longer cut it and we would have to play higher pitched clarinets.
AAAClarinet
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-05-09 03:44
The common wisdom I learned was that there is NO practical transition for pitch extremes such as 440 vs. 445. In fact there are some videos of Leister speaking of his 440 set that remains in its case until he tours the US.
However, recently there is mention of bore/tone hole configurations on the Gerold clarinet website that claim the transition can be achieved with longer and shorter barrels.
All I know for sure is that you CANNOT take an R13 (or any other 'brand name') French clarinet and just stick a short barrel on it and get employment in Europe (fingering system prejudice aside). The internal pitch discrepancies will be too great (shorter length notes being sharper than longer tube notes) to work.
...........Paul Aviles
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