 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ed Lowry
Date: 2017-01-07 06:14
I've been thinking about clarinet resistance lately -- why are some clarinets hard to blow, and others not? Why are Buffets in general harder than Leblancs? Is there an advantage to having one with greater resistance? For me, personally, when I'm playing with a high resistance clarinet, I feel like I'm fighting it and using too much of my energy just to get the sound out, thereby detracting from working on phrasing and expression. Is there anything that can be done to increase or decrease resistance? Softer or harder reeds come to mind, of course, but are there nuances to that?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-07 11:28
Check it has sufficient venting - Buffets usually do on the side and trill keys, but most clarinets tend to have poor venting on the ring keys, the C#/G# key, the cross B/F# 'sliver' key and the RH F/C key.
The F/C key is one that's often a problem if lower register G is stuffy as the note G speaks from that tonehole and is in effect a forked note as it has the closed F#/C# tonehole immediately below it. The way it's linked with the crow's foot to the E/B key makes the leverages different to the E/B key may have a fair amount of venting but the F/C key often doesn't. If both keys were mounted on the same axle (if that was possible), then there wouldn't be any problem.
The lower register notes that are effectively forked notes in they have a closed tonehole immediately below the one the note issues from are F# (xoo|ooo), D (xxo|ooo), B (xxx|oxo), A (xxx|xxo) and G (xxx|xxx). Some clarinets have extra vents and mechanisms fitted specially to unfork most of these notes, but not all of them.
The Boehm flute is the nearest instrument to a fully vented one in that the majority of notes have two or more open toneholes immediately below the one the note speaks from - apart from F# when taken with the standard fingering (xxx|oox) or the fingering when it's next to E (xxx|oxo) and some have a special F# key to close the top pad cup in the RH main action so F# can be played fully vented - Rockstro and Brossa F# keys as fitted to Rudall Carte flutes addressed this. With the Eb key held open, the flute effectively has all the toneholes open (ignoring the closed G# key as the doubled LH3 key compensates for that).
With Boehm system clarinets, the nearest to being fully vented is either a reform Boehm, or a Buffet RC Prestige basset horn.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2017-01-07 11:32)
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2017-01-07 22:54
When I have a resistant clarinet I assume it is leaking. The leak can be from a pad, a crack, a ring that is too high, a leaky tenon, or it can be at a post, thumb tube, register tube.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-08 02:07
And if it's a new Buffet, then it's definitely going to leak like a sieve.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2017-01-08 02:49
I think someone should answer Ed Lowry's question.
Clarinets of various models have different resistances. "Why?" was Ed's question.
B.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-08 03:07
Ok - it could be a number of things:
Reed strength too strong for the player
Mouthpiece tip opening and reed strength not suitable for the player
Reed not correctly placed on mouthpiece
Warped reed
Damaged (split or chipped) reed
Damaged mouthpiece rails
Leaking tenon corks
Leaking speaker tube
Leaking thumb tube
Leaking pads (not seated correctly)
Damaged pads
Loose pads
Porous pads
Weak, broken or incorrectly balanced springs
Damaged toneholes
Dirt or fluff occluding toneholes
Incorrectly regulated throat G#-A key screw
Insufficient ventings
Loose pillars
Loose keywork
Cracks in the joints going through to the bore
Loose tonehole chimneys
Pillar holes drilled through to the bore
Thumbrest or pillar locking screws drilled through to the bore
Foreign objects lodged in the bore
...
Feel free to add more possible reasons to the list.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2017-01-08 07:55
So, in your opinion clarinets are not designed to provide more or less push-back? Bore sizes and shapes have no effect on resistance?
For example, it seems to me, never having played a B&H 1010, that what I've read here and elsewhere is that they are much more free-blowing than, say, an R-13. Same for the old larger-bored Selmers (CTs, Series 9).
My only experience as a player has been with R-13 and Selmer 10G, but even between them the native resistance of my 10Gs seems slightly but noticeably greater than my older R-13 even though the 10G was modeled on Hans Moennig-tweaked Buffets.
My understanding has always been that larger bore = freer-blowing. That's probably overly simplistic, but does it have no basis in fact?
Karl
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-01-08 08:01
I've found B&H 1010s more resistant clarinets compared to Selmer BT, CT, Series 9 and 9* even though the B&H has the much larger bore of all those, but they do have relatively small toneholes compared to the Selmers.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2017-01-08 08:05
Well, in any case, doesn't the design then contribute to an instrument's normal resistance level? What design features affect this?
Karl
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2017-01-08 20:25
Yes, the design contributes. That's the question.
My Rossi clarinets are different than each other (different bores), different than the Leblanc Opus, different than my R13, which is different than the American Standard metal...all with the same mouthpiece and reed, and all mechanically sound.
Karl restates the original question succinctly.
Steve Fox? Tom Ridenour? Would you please chime in.
B.
Post Edited (2017-01-08 21:04)
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Author: TomS
Date: 2017-01-09 03:02
Design, leaks (pads, cracks and tenons) and improper pad clearance. Make sure you aren't using a bad reed/MP setup. Also, the barrel can make a considerable difference as well.
Some designs have more built-in resistance ... I can't play a Buffet E11 because I fall through the instrument ... but a Yamaha 450 feels right.
Tom
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2017-01-09 05:08
Here are some sources that directly address Ed's original question.
O. Lee Gibson, Clarinet Acoustics (Indiana Univ. Press, 1994, pb 1998) paperback page 63:
"...For a clarinet designed at a given pitch, the larger its bore the mellower and blander its tones will be. Since a large bore must have larger tone holes to produce registers which may be played in tune, it will also be less resistive... (Emphasis mine)
and paperback page 67
"...Increased weight of the body demands greater absorption of wind pressure by the instrument's walls...." (I take this to mean greater resistance.)
and
John Backus, The Acoustical Foundations of Music, New York 1969, page 28 is probably relevant to the idea immediately above:
"...An oscillation whose amplitude is diminishing in this way is said to be damped. That part of the system that absorbs energy - the friction in the system we have been discussing, for example - is frequently termed the resistance, or sometimes damping resistance."
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Author: clarismith
Date: 2017-01-09 05:17
Hi all, if I may weigh in with a different perspective:
Taking it as given that the clarinet is sealing and venting properly, and that we're dealing with a properly designed professional level instrument, it seems to me that resistance is not only a characteristic of the clarinet intrinsically, but also of the acoustical matching (or lack thereof) between the clarinet and the player's vocal tract.
The beating reed sends out sound waves in both directions, so there must be standing waves inside the vocal tract, which must cooperate with those in the clarinet, otherwise the reed would receive conflicting feedback and wouldn't be able to maintain vibration. We know that the vocal tract has a profound effect because of what happens when we close the vocal folds.
(An example of this type of acoustical conflict happens with many of us when playing around second register A on the bass clarinet; the instrument seems to be fighting back, so much that we can feel as if we're choking on the note.)
Since different players vary in the configuration of the vocal tract and also in the degree to which they allow it to adapt to different instruments, they can perceive a given clarinet as more or less resistant. I've noticed that quite strongly when people try my clarinets, for example; some find them a lot more resistant than average, others take to them very easily.
Some food for thought...
Steve
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-01-09 07:53
Not disagreeing with anyone, but it also seems to be true that different instruments of the same make and model play differently, just like different mouthpieces made by the same maker with the same specs play differently. Or at least, the wood instruments seem to be that way. Every now and again, someone has an instrument that was selected at the factory that they somehow knew was special, and the two or three of those I've been able to try really seemed to play especially good. Similarly, some seem to be turkeys, even with overhauls by top repair shops. I used to have one of those. Good question, but I don't know that anyone really knows the complete answer for sure.
Post Edited (2017-01-09 17:51)
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2017-01-09 21:32
Given Steve's response as well as others, it should be clear that resistance does vary between models and between individual clarinets, and may also be influenced by individual player physiology, as Steve surmises.
Leaks, venting, etc. affect resistance, but each model and individual clarinet has resistance characteristics of their own.
I still wonder, though, what particular design factors influence resistance, all other things (player, reed, mouthpiece, etc.) being equal. Tone hole dimensions surely must, for example.
Bore dimension and taper? Bell shape? Barrel bore shape? And (lest I open that can of worms again) body material? (I'm very skeptical about Gibson's statement about body weight.)
B.
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Author: Ed Lowry
Date: 2017-01-10 08:36
Thank you everyone for your contributions! It appears there's no one answer.
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Author: Jeroen
Date: 2017-01-10 13:29
Well, there a lot of factors that contribute to resistance.
-bore design
the size of the bore matters but also the distribution along the length.
-tone hole design
Small tone holes are more resistant than large tone holes. Also the undercutting and tapering of tone holes do have an effect.
-material
Soft materials dampen and restrict the sound. Also the density and axial distribution of the wood can have effects.
-mouthpiece
To decrease the total resistance you can play a "low energy" mouthpiece like a 5RV that has a short facing and small tip opening. Playing longer facings, larger tips and/or stronger reeds will increase the acoustical energy of the mpc and will make the instrument feel more resistant. E.g. many French clarinets are too resistant when played with a German mpc/reed.
Actually the clarinet with moutphiece is one acoustical system. The standing waves are initiated by the vibrating reed but the standing waves also have a backwards effect on how the reed vibrates. That can feel resistant.
It is good to have a bit of resistance to support tone, intonation and articulation.
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2017-01-10 17:52
There has to be resistance somewhere, and where it is can drastically affect the end result. David Pino, in "The Clarinet and Clarinet Playing," argues for free-blowing instruments, mouthpieces and embouchures, with the resistance centered on the heart of the reed. Don't know that that's exactly what I do, but it's somewhat close. Anyway, the first thing is probably deciding what one ideally wants, and after that, running around trying to find the gear and techniques that produce it.
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