 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2015-11-29 02:05
I'm a casual Adult Player and don't play with any bands or other musicians.
Ive got a Normandy 4 Wood Clarinet.
I originally bought this Horn in an Antique Mall and didn't pay much for it.
The keys and pads are in very good shape.
The only thing Ive done was to buy a Hite Artist hard rubber mouthpiece and a Rovner Mark 3 Ligature.
With the additions the horn went from sounding OK to sounding quite good.
Would the right new barrell make the Normandy sound even better?
If so this is an option I'd like to pursue since its way cheaper than buying a new horn.
BTW, Ive tried a number of other intermediate level horns, but none seem to sound quite as nice to me as this Normandy.
The current wood barrell has the Normandy logo, is 65mm long and I would presume its the original.
I don't know about the relative sharpness or flatness of this horn and its notes
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Ben Shaffer
GSO,NC
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2015-11-29 02:18
The Normandy 4 clarinet is a decent enough lower intermediate level clarinet.
Putting a better quality mouthpiece on was a good decision as a good mouthpiece and matching reed is by far the most important part of any clarinet.
However I wouldn't get too hung up over barrels at this level,it really isn't going to make any dramatic improvement, far better to save the money and save up for a better instrument at some stage.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2015-11-30 13:49
Ben, we're debating in a vacuum here. You really must gain an intimate understanding of the tuning tendencies of your Normandy in order to make an intelligent choice in an accessory barrel.
You will want to get an accurate tuner and make a note-by-note chart of the pitch tendencies of your fully warmed-up Normandy equipped with its original barrel. Then, you'll be ready to test some other barrels, comparing pitch accuracy note-by-note versus the original barrel.
Some years ago I went a little overboard sprucing up my own Normandy, splurging on a beautiful Backun MoBa barrel in grenadilla which I hand-picked from a group of six. I did not bother to use a tuner during the trials, only using response and tone quality as my guide to selecting the best barrel. Eventually, I did carefully check the tuning versus the original Normandy barrel and discovered that I'd really messed up the intonation of my instrument. What a costly blunder!
The most beautiful-sounding, easiest-responding setup isn't worth a lick unless it's also in tune. Adding anything to a clarinet that degrades tuning accuracy results in needless effort expended by you, the clarinetist.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-11-30 17:54
Two thoughts:
Ursa's experience with compromised intonation is an important consideration. The original barrel is part of the design of any clarinet. A third party barrel may play just as well in tune, or it may not. The trial and error process may be time consuming and expensive - most distributors charge a restocking fee if you don't buy anything after a trial period. And shipping charges, at least on the return end, are also involved.
In general, as Norman suggests, of any part of the system the barrel's influence on response and tone quality is the next smallest after the bell. Mouthpiece, reed and instrument body have much greater influence, and you've taken care of the first two while trying for now to avoid the expense of upgrading the third. The only way to answer the question of what effect a barrel will have - good or bad - is to try barrels. You may find one quickly that seems to improve things to your ear, but the difference is likely to be subtle. You may go through dozens of barrels and not find one that sounds better *and* plays in tune. But it's the only way to answer your question.
My advice would be the same as Norman's, especially if you have no current ensemble demands. The small improvement may not be worth the expense or time involved in the search.
Karl
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Author: Jerry
Date: 2015-12-02 05:43
Yes, please get a tuner and use it during at least a portion of your playing session to become familiar with which notes are sharper and flatter than the average. Then you will be able to make adjustments in your playing once you become part of an ensemble. Once you make this a part of your playing routine, you will be in a much better position to try out a few barrels. Here is the number one best selling tuner on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00923H7MA?keywords=instrument%20tuners&qid=1449020459&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Jerry
The Villages, FL
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