 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: etude5
Date: 2018-01-03 17:16
Loads of humidity when I play.
Leads to holes overspilling, pads getting wet in upper joint, sqeaking follows.
1) Is it me spitting or is it the pads that are no good anymore and absorb the wetness?
2) Will it help to switch to cork pads in upper joint?
3) Other suggestions?
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2018-01-03 18:49
Cork pads are good. Synthetic pads will last longer. Synthetic pads may get sticky faster but are easier to clean.
Steve Ocone
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Author: LC007
Date: 2018-01-03 18:58
Water in the clarinet is not usually saliva (there may be a wee bit of spit in the mouthpiece). 99% of the water is caused by condensation. Warm humid breath against cold clarinet causes water droplets to form. The best way to reduce this (not avoid - you will never avoid this) is to warm up your clarinet before playing. Another method is to swab frequently. How often do you swab or change reeds?
Other factors are plastic horns and reeds tend to make more water because they can't absorb like wood can. That is not to say that wood clarinets/reeds don't have this problem . Also some people blow dryer than others. You may be a very wet blower. Drinking coffee while playing doesn't help.
I don't think it can have anything to do with worn pads. If your pads are worn they will be leaking and causing all kinds of problems while playing but increased water would not be one of them.
So try to use faster/dryer air and swab frequently.
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Author: zhangray4
Date: 2018-01-03 19:27
I also have issues with spit. Even though I live in Southern California where we get single digit humidity levels, my side Eb key, C#/G# key, and A key get filled with spit very fast. Before I play, I usually suck the spit in my mouthpiece back in my mouth, and try to get rid of all the saliva in my mouth before I play.
What are all your opinions on pads? Leather, cork, or Valentino? What are the benefits of each?
-- Ray Zhang
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Author: kdk
Date: 2018-01-03 20:02
zhangray4 wrote:
> What are all your opinions on pads? Leather, cork, or
> Valentino? What are the benefits of each?
>
I don't think the pad material will affect water in the tone holes.
I have always had cork pads in the upper section and double-skin pads in the lower. Recently my repairman put black composition pads - I think they're Valentinos - in my lower section and they seem to be working well.
Karl
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2018-01-03 20:48
Is it me spitting - NO, NO, NO!!! It's usually condensation. Hot moist air from your mouth similar to exhaling on to a mirror and fogging up the mirror. NOT spitting. Lets get that straight!
A funny short joke. True story. I was playing a rehearsal and had some condensation in the throat A key and the note made that weird, very unpleasant sound during a slow romantic solo. Well the conductor stopped and asked what happened and without thinking I said I had water in my A-hole. Needless to say the whole orchestra busted up laughing. So this is not uncommon. It happens to everyone.
Wipe your clarinet every 1/2 hour or so 20 minutes if it is a problem. Should solve your problem. Use quality ones. I think the worst are the Yamaha ones and the Buffets are actually decent. Buy several and wash them a lot. Germs spread like crazy on these. Hand washing is the best because in the washing machine the long string turns into knots. A dishwasher actually works OK, just don't dangle the cord down, drape it along the rack.
As for pads I like cork pads the best in the upper register, probably because I've been using them since the late 1970's. With the newer pads which are very good, I feel this sponge effect, because the pads are softer than cork. Cork will usually last a long time, 10 to 15 years. Then they are pretty hard and can make noise sometimes when pressing down on the keys. But in theory they can last longer than 15 years. Some of the newer cork is really soft compared to the old days.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: kdk
Date: 2018-01-03 21:01
Bob Bernardo wrote:
> Cork will
> usually last a long time, 10 to 15 years. Then they are pretty
> hard and can make noise sometimes when pressing down on the
> keys.
This has always been the complaint about cork pads - they *are* noisier. But the noise doesn't travel far enough to matter, and the seal is better than any other traditional pad (I don't know about the newest pad materials).
Cork pads have to be installed by someone who knows what he or she is doing. They have to be seated accurately because there's no give in the surface. They are completely unforgiving of uneven pad seat surfaces or not being level to the seat.
Karl
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Author: Klose ★2017
Date: 2018-01-03 21:38
There is no way so far to solve this problem perfectly. If any companies can find a solution, then it would be a real breakthrough is the clarinet and oboe world.
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