 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-07-19 03:11
I am looking for a new A clarinet and have been told to try everything, including other brands. I am going to try some Yamahas (650 and CSG111) and was wondering what they're tuned to, can't seem to find it online.
Thanks.
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-07-19 03:52
I don't believe any of the major makers "tune" their instruments to 440 vs 442 the difference is achieved by using a slightly (approx 1mm) shorter barrel for 442.
Ultimately the exact pitch it plays at is determined by not only the instrument but also the mouthpiece and the individual players playing characteristics.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-07-19 04:34
Be advised the CSGs are sold with barrels that tend to make them play on the "low" side (these barrels are 56.3mm or something like that). The better choice for most of the custom mouthpieces and 13 Series Vandorens would be the 53.5mm barrels that you must order separately. Or buy a shorter custom (54mm is fine) barrel from Alan Segal as I did and I never looked back.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: efsf081
Date: 2014-07-19 07:00
>>Norman Smale
I saw some selmer clarinet marked 440 on the body. What it means?
Post Edited (2014-07-19 07:00)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-07-19 14:10
Selmer Recitals are sometimes marked 442 on the body meaning they're built to play at A442Hz which is marginally sharper than A440Hz.
440Hz is the standard tuning in the UK and US for most instruments - other countries may tune sharper, eg. 442Hz or even 444Hz.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BbMajorBoy
Date: 2014-07-19 14:48
I was talking to a much more experienced clarinettist recently and she actually changed clarinets because she was always sharp and had to pull out. Makers make their instruments play both but you may have to buy a new barrel.
A yamaha 650 with a 65mm barrel will play at what pitch?
Leonard Bernstein: "To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time."
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-07-19 15:44
You can't have a clarinet made to play at both pitches - they're built to play at one pitch. Changing the barrel will only do so much (mostly the tuning of throat notes and little elsewhere) and the rest has to be done by the player, or have the instrument retuned by altering toneholes if they're considerably out of tune and hard to correct with embouchure or finger corrections.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-07-21 08:41
Chris,
This is always an interesting discussion. My Wurlitzers (circa 1994) seemed to be manufactured to play comfortably around 445. There is a manufacturer now in Austria, Gerold, who claims that the way his bore/tone holes are configured, longer barrels will work to bring it in line with 440 standard. Of course I don't believe it.
..........Paul Aviles
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2014-07-21 13:03
BbMajorBoy wrote:
"I was talking to a much more experienced clarinettist recently and she actually changed clarinets because she was always sharp and had to pull out."
Well that seems like that was more down to operator error than the actual instrument. One should really play with the barrel pulled out a millimetre or so after warming up to have a consistent tuning throughout the registers.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: David clarinete
Date: 2014-07-21 21:15
Hi. Maybe a good choice is CSGII (have the same pricetag) but here in spain many music store make a great discount, because if CSG III and CSGII have the same price nobody bought the CSGII. I test both and is great the tune. I think the tune is in your mind and you can practice (long tones). Even if you have the best clarinet tunned your mind try to find the tune inside your mind. Like persons, places, sounds... tune are memories.
Finally try to find a CSGII with a great discount is a great clarinet (+-2400 euros).
http://www.musicalclarinet.com/2013/11/yamaha-csg-III.html
www.musicalclarinet.com/2013/12/probando-clarinetes-capitulo-7-yamaha.html
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Author: David clarinete
Date: 2014-07-21 21:20
Be carefull with every change in your barrel lenght. Why? Because the changes affects much more to the left hand notes. If you modificate the lenght of the barrel the notes near the barrel could be out of tune in comparision with the right hand notes.
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