 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2016-12-29 20:22
All:
Consider that you have a reed that is stuffy in the long middle staff B/C but plays well everywhere else & is well balanced side-to-side. How would you adjust the reed to free it up in that region (ie: eliminate the stuffiness)?
Thanks,
Matt
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-12-29 21:10
First, be sure the clarinet isn't leaking. If the reed truly plays well everywhere else, it may easily not be a reed problem at all.
If it's a little heavy and B/C is simply the area that reacts most to the stiffness, you can try sanding the flat side a small amount to bring the strength down without changing the balance.
Otherwise, there's not a "rule." You have to make a judgement reed by reed. A lot of charts, I think, suggest that taking wood from the corners of the vamp next to the bark can improve clarity, which may counter the feeling of stuffiness.
Karl
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2016-12-29 23:06
At a lesson I just finished teaching, the student had a similar issue with fuzzy notes in that range. We tried moving the reed around up or down, or side to side and he found that moving it up toward the tip on the mouthpiece worked for him and those notes were suddenly clean sounding.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2016-12-29 23:29
Is this something new? Need more info. What reeds and mouthpiece are you using? The somewhat new Vandoren BD5 is an open mouthpiece, it can tune to 442 or 440 depending on the model but it probably can't handle the thicker reeds like the V12's. As a mouthpiece maker I buy a lot of mouthpieces just to see whats new and exciting out there in the market. So in this case a regular Vandoren reed is often the best. I'm not promoting this mouthpiece nor the reeds, just trying to help get rid of that stuffiness.
Karl is pretty darn smart. I'd look into a minor leak, above the B/C keys. The leak could be coming all the way from the upper register. The goal is to try and get around a 5 to 15 second seal. With cork pads I'm after about 30 seconds to 1 minute. With the Yamaha leather pads I'm getting 15 second seals, which is pretty amazing to me.
Then you have the bell. Is the bell new? Does the C and B play in tune with this bell or is it playing flat? If it is playing flat try a shorter bell or have a machinist, repairman, take off some material from the inside.
One time I was playing on a Buffet and this low E was driving me nuts for 3 weeks. It would buzz. I thought there were metal keys touching somewhere. Turns out it had a very tiny crack in it. A bit of super glue, some minor sanding, fixed the problem.
If you buy a new bell find a very light weight one, with dense wood. It's worth buying a scale to weigh the bells. I think it's that important. A few grams can really free up a horn.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2016-12-30 00:41
All:
Thank you for the responses. Let me give some additional information.
This is a general question but it certainly pertains to the instruments I play. The clarinets are Yamaha SE-Vs (both Bb & A) and I use a Greg Smith mouthpiece. The reeds I am using these days are VD V12s & Rue Lepics. I don't believe there is any leakage issue. Some reeds play perfectly. Those are my treasures. Unfortunately these are few and far between. I have been experimenting with adjusting reeds and have become reasonably proficient at balancing side-to-side as well as generally freeing the reeds when they are overall just plain cranky. What I have not been able to do is to free up these long mid-staff tones. If a reed is stuffy in that area, I have been unsuccessful at clearing that up. I was hoping that some ideas would be put forward & I believe I have heard some. Particularly interesting is the idea of scraping where the vamp meets the bark. I have done some experimentation in that region but maybe I will spend more time there.
I always adjust the reed placement on the mouthpiece for best response. I have already experimented with a different bell (granted it was a Vito bell from my outdoor clarinet!) but it had no effect and I think made it worse.
One interesting item is that if a reed seals nicely on the mouthpiece I think it generally plays well. Unfortunately, many of the reeds are not really flat as indicated by the amount of moisture that collects between the reed & the mpc while playing. I have a piece of honed granite and brown paper that I use to flatten the reeds but they do never seem to become truly flat. It polishes nicely but I'm guessing it isn't gritty enough to actually smooth a reed. I haven't found any 400 grit paper in any of the local stores so have focused on the paper. I'm guessing this may be a big part of the issue but can't seem to figure out how to get them truly flat. I do believe the mpc is flat as indicated by a nice sheen of water over the entire lay when placed against a piece of plate glass.
Any thoughts on this last item?
Thank you again for the responses.
Matt
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-12-30 01:26
Some hardware stores put the fine grit abrasive in the painting/finishing department instead of the tool department. I find 400 wet-or-dry easily in Home Depot or Lowe's, but with the paints and varnishes. Really fine grits may be easier to get online. You're probably right that the brown paper won't flatten the surface.
Trying a single replacement bell won't tell you if the bell is a problem. It may well be that the Vito bell is just more in the wrong direction. You'd have to try a number of them to be sure that a different bell with the right dimensions wouldn't help. But in general, the one that comes with the clarinet should be well enough matched to at least not be getting in the way.
Without hearing you or playing on your equipment there's no way any of us can tell you for certain what to try. I for one have never had the experience of only B4/C5 being stuffy while a reed played the rest of the compass well. Your expectation of a responsive reed - what plays well - may easily be different from mine. It may well be that your responsive reed would still be heavy timber to me, in which case, the problem with B/C could still be that the reed is just too hard. After all, those two notes are the most resistant ones on the clarinet.
Karl
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2016-12-30 12:50
Having played SEV's myself I never had any problems with B/C stuffiness, or B/C being more stuffy than other notes. On my instruments the area around E4 started to hiss when playing too strong reeds. With increased venting most of this hissing could be eliminated, expect for the F4 on the A clarinet that was probably due a tone hole undercutting problem.
You really should check for minor leaks. In stead of a suction test I use a "blow" test which I think gives better results than a suction test. Gentle blow into the fully closed instrument upper or lower joint. If there is a leak you will definitely feel it and hear where the air escapes. If you blow harder some key will eventually be lifted by the pressure. This is ok but with soft air pressure all pads must remain closed.
Additionaly, you can experiment with the bell rotation. Rotate the bell to find a position that minimizes the stuffiness. With quality clarinets (like SEV's) you will probably find out that the best sound is obtained with the label up front. But for minimal stuffiness chances are that another angle is better.
Also try to leave a micro spacing between bottom joint and bell, so that the bell ring does not contact the wood of the bottom joint.
All minor things but worth to try.
Else, just throw away the reed.
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2016-12-30 15:43
Matt,
Finer grades of sandpaper can usually be found at automotive supply stores, in the paint and body work section.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2016-12-31 03:26
The middle B is usually stuffy. This is an issue with the register tube. The C can be stuffy if the pad on the B key is not venting sufficiently. The register pad should be at least 3mm above the register tube when open. It should be cork (synthetic is "OK") and the outer exposed edge should be beveled toward the pad seat. This will clear up most stuffiness.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Matt Locker
Date: 2017-01-03 19:34
All:
Thank you again for the responses.
I will experiment with rotating and spacing the bell. I have done that with the barrel & did find best overall response with the label aligned. For some reason, I never thought of checking the bell. I will also look at my local auto store for very fine sandpaper. Another thing I never thought of.
Register key is cork & beveled. I have confirmed that more venting of this key does not affect the clarinet in either way but less venting definitely makes it worse. Essentially, it seems to be an optimum vent. I have also cleaned the register tube completely, as well as all tone holes, to ensure no lint/build up interfering.
I will double check for leaks as well.
Thank you,
Matt
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