Author: donald
Date: 2017-04-15 09:38
I'm not going to add anything to the "blow out" debate, I've commented before and stand by those remarks should they be unearthed in previous posts.
- If the Lomax (probably a Zinner A blank) lowers the pitch a bit, then we can safely say that the (your) mouthpiece has contributed to the problem and a different (Zinner or Vandoren 13 series) mouthpiece will probably help.
- You mention that the lower clarion is extra problematic, so check the pad heights of the lower 4 toneholes. If the pads are quite high when opened you *may* be able to lower them slightly, thus lowering the pitch (it will, of course lower the pitch in both registers). With a lighter setup you'll be able to get the pads lower (without making the notes too fuzzy) compared to a heavier setup- this is quite personal (and, also, you may find that you can adjust your voicing so "too low" might become ok after 30min of scales).
- another strategy for lowering the pitch of these tones is a tuning ring at the middle joint. Ideally, you'll not let top line F be flat, but usually an R13 will tolerate at least 1mm at the middle joint. It may make the middle joint too "rocky". If you have extreme variation in temperature/humidity then avoid using a metal ring (such as the lomax rings). It sounds like you've already experimented with tuning at the middle joint so....
- Once you've got the pads as low are can be tolerated (ie, without the tone going fuzzy) you can take the keys off and line the "topside" of the tone holes to flatten pitch. By "topside", I mean the half of the circle closest to the mouthpiece. As a temporary measure use blue-tack (being careful not to get any on the bore). This works well for TESTING as it is relatively easily removed if you find it's not helpful- or has an unexpected downside you didn't predict. If it works, you can either leave it there or find something else to use as a permanent solution (I've had clarinets with bluetack in toneholes for years with no problems... the former Principal clarinet of the NZSO likewise performed for many years with blue-tack in his toneholes with no problems until a friendly tech decided to remove it without asking). Tape, epoxy, putty, plasticene are all things I've seen in toneholes (your teacher may have his own ideas).
- Find a copy of the Leon Russianoff books, one of them has a chapter on tuning the clarinet that will be very helpful. He has a step by step guide to doing the work I've suggested above, only he says to use cork grease in the tone holes- the only advice of his I've ever hesitated about....
Flat notes are much more problematic to deal with, but sharp notes often can be effectively "helped".
As mentioned above there can be other considerations. I once had a fabulous mouthpiece (a Miller blank refaced by Brad Behn) that made me play ridiculously sharp. If was a fine mouthpiece with amazing tone and response, but for me the resistance encouraged me to tighten my throat in a way that made me sharp. This was ME causing the problem, but as a reaction to my mouthpiece/reed setup. Other players without my flaws were able to play that mouthpiece *in tune*. Likewise, small leaks and stuffy tone holes can sometimes create this situation- you unwittingly "scrunch up" to accomodate resistance etc...
I hope this was helpful.
I said I wasn't going to discuss "blow-out", but one parting shot.... I had an R13 that played amazingly for the first year (in USA and Germany), then in a cold and damp NZ winter cracked and started playing with annoying intonation in the lower joint. Lower reg notes that were previously "a bit sharp" became super sharp, and upper register D/C also became super sharp. At Clarinetfest 2000 Francois Kloc measured the horn, told me that the bore had shrunk and reamed it out for me... bits of black dust fell out on the ground. The problem was solved. Many years later (9 years to be exact) I sold that clarinet to a local teacher who described it as the best R13 he'd ever played (and this is a guy who buys/sells loads of instruments to his students- I'd guess he test plays a different R13 every week). He had no incentive to lie to me about this, though of course he could have been exagerating :-)
At any rate, the bore was fixed, and that instrument had a long life playing in tune with great sound.
Post Edited (2017-04-15 09:54)
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
