 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: brusted
Date: 2016-05-15 21:33
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0TQgHEQhjb8 (Sound clip)
On the chalumeau notes, when I play I'll get this nasty polyphonic multiphonic sound. This happens sporadically. Sometimes I play with an okay tone, sometimes not so much. Why do I sound like this? How do I get rid of this sound?
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2016-05-15 23:43
Can't wait to read the replies...that overtone must be driving you crazy.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2016-05-16 01:48
I tried to re-create this sound and the only thing I can come up with is that the reed is being tasked to do something it does not want to do. And I think that perhaps you are on or beyond the point where the reed joins up with the mouthpiece and you have no control over the vibration of the reed.
Firstly just play an open 'G.' Play as close to the the tip of the mouthpiece as possible (taking in almost no mouthpiece). Then, as you continue to play the open 'G,' continue to introduce more and more mouthpiece until you come to a point where you get a big "SQUAWK" (or you should get a squawk). Now you back off slightly from the "SQUAWK" point and that is where you should always place the mouthpiece in your embouchure (you can back off further but at the expense of losing the efficiency of your particular length of facing).
The other thing about your sound is that it is very flaccid. You are allowing the reed to vibrate without any control on any of the notes. If you experiment with adding more embouchure control (which is using the musculature ALL around the mouth: cheek muscles coming in, and upper lip muscles pushing (slightly) downward) you will find that the sound can become pinched and wheezy at this OTHER extreme.
What you need to do is settle IN THE MIDDLE, where the sound is a pure, round, resonant quality; neither flabby nor squeezed.
This should help.
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-05-16 03:39
Hold the mouthpiece with the reed down, facing left to right, and find the place where the reed and the rails meet. Mark this place lightly with a pencil.
Put the mouthpiece in so that your lower teeth are exactly beneath the pencil mark. If you're taking in any more than that, you'll get the sound on your attachment.
I agree with Paul that you need to strengthen your embouchure muscles. You do this by playing long tones. This will also help you develop your breath support, which I think is another reason for your problem.
Ken Shaw
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2016-05-16 21:48
Kens got the answer. I think you're taking in too much mouthpiece and the reed is not functioning properly.
jbutler
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-05-16 23:21
Couple of other things it could be is your reed isn't sealing against the table if it's too dry, so moisten the entire underside of the reed before fitting it and also sounds like your reed is a bit too hard for you, so drop down half a strength to see if that helps.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2016-05-16 23:23
Well???????
No reply yet.
Try both sides of the fingering.
Still think I'm right on this.
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Author: brusted
Date: 2016-05-17 00:34
Thanks for the recommendations and to answer your questions, I'm playing on a Vandoren Traditional 3 reed which doesn't feel hard for me at all and it still sounds airy and wimpy on the middle notes up to the throat tones. The Clarion and the lower altissimo is the only register where my tone is full and round.
But anywho, I always try to make sure I keep a good seal on the holes with my fingers when I play and I even have practiced in front of a magnifying glass to see if the reason for my bad tone on that Eb was due to me not sealing the toneholes well enough.
I was practicing that Eb trying to make the tone better and I found that if I apply lots of pressure with my lower lip to the lower part of the reed that I get a solid Eb without those multiphonics. So...
Post Edited (2016-05-17 00:36)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-05-17 00:47
If you're having to apply lots of pressure to the lower part of the reed, that sounds like either your reeds or your mouthpiece side rails are warped and leaking air making it chirp, so you're having to apply extra pressure to make the reed seal.
Play as normal with just left hand notes and using your right thumb, press the reed at the bottom of the scrape to see if that suddenly improves the tone. If that's the case, either your reed is warped or your mouthpiece facing has a dip at the base of the window.
Another way to test your reed is sealing well is to take the mouthpiece off and seal the tenon with your thumb, then suck all the air out from the tip of the mouthpiece to create a vacuum and see how long the reed remains closed against the facing for. If it's only a few seconds, then there's a leak. You want the reed to be held closed by the vacuum and then after a long period of it making a hissing sound, it should suddenly spring open with a definite 'pop'.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: brusted
Date: 2016-05-17 01:19
Thank you! I shall try this out when I get around to doing so.
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