 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bubalooy
Date: 2016-09-29 03:16
I've been having a lot of trouble with getting my Buffet s1 to speak in certain passages. These passages involve mid register changes from d sharp/e flat to other long fingerings but I don't have trouble always and some days seem worse than others. I am not having this problem with my R13 A clarinet or my Leblanc LL. In examining the two clarinets, I find the the key for alternative fingering of f sharp/ g flat (middle register) on my Leblanc is considerably higher and also the key itself is shorter, that is it doesn't extend so far over the instrument. I'm wondering if I might be slightly bumping the key causing it to vent sometimes? Of course, none of you can see me playing, but I wonder if anyone else has had a similar problem. The A clarinet has an identical key, it seems, but of course the instrument has slightly more space between the tone holes. I'm sorry that this is a bit long.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-09-29 04:11
Try playing on front of a mirror, while watching your finger position carefully. Also, play a passage where this occurs and at the fist sign of the problem cease playing and freeze the fingers in position. Now without altering the position of your fingers, carefully roll the fingers around and check if you are actually touching something that you shouldn't be touching. Sometimes, simply playing a scale slowly while rocking the fingers around will induce this problem. I guess this just points to the necessity of being aware of what your fingers are doing, rather than just moving them mechanically.
Tony F.
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Author: TomS
Date: 2016-09-29 06:18
I think you are talking about the RH "sliver key" ... that is, the one between the ring and middle finger?
I have exactly the same issue on SOME instruments ... I bump this key with with my finger and it causes terrible and frustrating problems. It wasn't a problem in the past, but a temporary job doing a lot of manual labor and lifting caused some damage to my hand. I am not a big, strong guy and not accustomed to heavy labor, and it ruined my technique.
On two of my clarinets, I actually trimmed the width, length and height of this key, as well as a softer (more forgiving) pad and a stronger spring.
Also, using a mirror is a great idea, you might be able to practice yourself out of the problem, if you can see what you are doing wrong.
One more thing ... if the thumb rest is too low, and cramps the RH thumb and position of the hand, it can add to this bumping the key problem.
Also, tension or stress and not keeping the fingers and mind relaxed (but poised and alert) add to inaccuracy and errors.
Good luck!
Tom
Post Edited (2016-09-29 06:21)
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Author: Bubalooy
Date: 2016-10-19 02:47
Hello Tom, I just want to thank you for the response. Here's what I have done. I had the silver key shortened about 1.5 mm and raised about a bit less than that. I also had the spring strength increased. The result is, I am a happy man. The issues that I was having have vanished. I had also been thinking of raising the thumb rest a bit for quite some time as I did have some cramping issues from time to time as well. It is much more comfortable playing now. So thanks for the suggestion, I followed it and it has worked for me.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-10-19 03:56
Tom,
I am so sorry to hear that a JOB, temporary at that, had a negative impact on your music. I sincerely hope that the effect is also temporary.
It's a tough call even for jobs around the home or car- few of us can afford to pay others to do all the rough things, but we can put our hands or ears (loud tools and machines) at risk trying to save a $50 service call. And even 40 yr ago it didn't feel right to say, "I don't want to do that, I'm a musician and I'd prefer to protect my hands." Blech. So usually I just let it happen.
I have no good answers, but I sympathize.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-10-19 06:51
Bubalooy wrote:
> In examining the two clarinets, I find the the key
> for alternative fingering of f sharp/ g flat (middle register)
> on my Leblanc is considerably higher and also the key itself is
> shorter, that is it doesn't extend so far over the instrument.
I was recently shown a new top-line clarinet - I forget if it was a Buffet or a MoBa - that has exactly the same design for the RH sliver key. And for exactly the reason you've described - players have been bumping into it forever and getting into trouble with the long clarion and chalumeau fingerings. Used to be repair people would grind the key much thinner and bend it so it was higher - farther away from the ring finger. The same thing can happen with the lh sliver key (the lh Eb/Bb key), so many of those were thinned and re-aimed as well. The shorter design seems to work well. There's a good deal of unnecessary metal extending around the front of the instruments with the older standard sliver keys.
Karl
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-10-19 17:29
Boosey and Hawkes instruments seem to particularly suffer from this problem. They were renowned for their "Fat" keys, which caused endless problems to generations of players. Mind you, they made some instrument tecs quite wealthy. All my /B & H instruments have these keys ground down and reprofiled. Also the Ab key.
Tony F.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-10-19 18:25
Gee whiz- fat sound is good, fat keys not so much.
Long ago I had a clarinet with a sliver key sharpened to a needle point- ouch. I wonder if that happened because somebody was trying to improve it.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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