Author: sfalexi
Date: 2017-03-27 17:05
First I find a couple mouthpieces that seem to play comfortably with it. Most people have a baseline of resistance that they like, and if it seems to come from the clarinet, they want a freer playing mouthpiece. If the clarinet is freeblowing, they use a resistant setup. That sorta thing.
Then I first play a slow chromatic scale (using every normal alternate fingering for as many notes as possible) at about mp. So that means middle finger B natural, as well as fork fingering B natural. I focus on a constant mp airstream, and I'm testing for big differences in evenness between notes (for example, how smooth is going over the break? Does the fork B natural sound MUCH louder than middle finger? is chalemeau C# OVERLY stuffy?) I want a clarinet that has a baseline of evenness first and foremost (of course some notes might be a little different, but too many or too big a difference would annoy me.
Last, since it's now pretty warmed up, I do a quick tuning check on each of the notes. I want them all to be within 5 cents sharp or flat, with most of them being as close to in tune as possible. I tune the open G by pulling out at the barrel, the G on top of the staff by pulling out the middle joint, and the C by pulling out at the bell (which usually puts the long B a little flat, but not by a crazy amount).
If those three things are good, I feel I have a good setup and a good clarinet. You can check flexibility of tone, but if you're comfortable with your setup, you'll probably get your idea of a good sound no matter what clarinet you play. For myself, I sound like me. Whether it be on my personal professional level horns, or on a bundy, so long as my setup gives me the resistance I'm comfortable with. THe tuning and evenness of notes varies GREATLY between pro horns and bundys, and THAT'S where I think the body of the clarinet matters.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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The Clarinet BBoard
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