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accidently playing altissimo register? Is there a leak?

Author: Josje
Date: 2016-07-21 19:29

Hi, I am just a beginner, but I have a question for the experienced clarinet players. I have been playing on a rental clarinet for half a year, and since Tuesday I own my own brand new clarinet. On the rental I was able to play the whole clarion register and when I really tried, a few of the lowest altissimo notes. (of course in the beginning they did't sound good, especially the higher ones, but it became better reasonebly quick)

On this new clarinet I seem to have more trouble with high clarion notes then ever before, they sound very shrill, I can only get them to sound good if I blow very soft, and/of bite really hard. If I do blow a bit more though, sometimes I get some very high notes that are definitely not a squeak. I suspect I some how play in the altissimo register, because they actually sound quite nice. Is it possible there is a leak? The suction test doesn’s give a very good vacuum (I tried that on the rental, that gave a better vaccuum), but I don’s realy hear a hissing or something like that either.

Or maybe the problem is I have to get used to the new mouthpiece? (a Yamaha C4)

All together I am squeaking more then I ever did in in general even on the chamulau register, which didn’t give much trouble from the start.

Thank you for you opinions about what is wrong.

Post Edited (2016-07-21 19:34)

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Re: accidently playing altissimo register? Is there a leak?

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2016-07-21 21:16

All of your speculations are possibilities. What is wrong is that you're asking the wrong people. You need to have someone who knows how to play the clarinet try your instrument and diagnose the problem. This kind of problem can't really be diagnosed long-distance without hearing or feeling it first hand.

Is the new clarinet a Yamaha, or is the C4 just whatever the packager put in the case? If not a Yamaha, what is it? What reeds are you using? Have you had any lessons on site with a teacher?

A suction test doesn't, in my experience, usually produce a sound of hissing air when there are leaks. I works better if your finger tips are damp and whatever you're closing the open end with is also damp. Are you testing for suction one section at a time (and are both producing a poor vacuum)? Or are you doing the two sections assembled (which really requires a rubber stopper at one end, since your hands are both occupied)?

Karl

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Re: accidently playing altissimo register? Is there a leak?

Author: Luuk ★2017
Date: 2016-07-22 12:39

If it's not a leak, maybe the mouthpiece-reed-embouchure combination is the culprit.
- reed strongly unbalanced (left side different from right side)
- reed not fit for mouthpiece
- mouthpiece unbalanced (left/right)
- placing lower lip too far away from the tip of the mouthpiece
- unbalanced pressure from lower lip (left/right)

Try taking in less mouthpiece. This enables you to control the reed much more.
If that solves the problem, it is likely one of the above. However, finding out the root cause requires more experience as Karl pointed out.

Please note that, generally speaking, the sound is better if you leave the reed as free as possible. So playing on the tip only is not advised, but for problem analysis it may be helpful.

Groeten uit Eindhoven!

Regards,

Luuk
Philips Symphonic Band
The Netherlands

Post Edited (2016-07-22 12:39)

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Re: accidently playing altissimo register? Is there a leak?

Author: Josje
Date: 2016-07-22 14:57

Another new reed made the problem better, yesterday. I did try three new reeds before I posted this post, but after trying another two more the problem seemed to be solved more or less. Still don't know if it is just a bad box of reeds, of if there is something wrong with the mouthpiece, or something else? Time will learn hopefully.

Thanks for the help till now!

Luuk, nice to see a Dutch person on this board, too bad there isn't something like this specifically for Dutch people don't you think? Of have I missed a specific clarinet forum in Dutch, when googleling?

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Re: accidently playing altissimo register? Is there a leak?

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-07-23 05:49

Altissimo squeaks are almost always caused by leaks at the corners of the reed. Try moving the reed a little higher on the mouthpiece -- maybe 0.5 mm.

Ken Shaw

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