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Re: HP b flat clarinet

Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-09-08 20:12

If it is High Pitch (which is around 452Hz), then nothing can be done to make it play down to 440Hz over its entire range.

It's built to HP and adding a longer barrel will have more of an effect on the tuning of the throat notes as you've effectively lengthened the top end of the instrument, but the rest of the clarinet will still be out of tune and the entire scale will be off as all the toneholes and joint lengths haven't been changed.

Your only option is to get a clarinet that's built to LP or 440Hz if you plan on playing in an ensemble that tunes to 440Hz.

Another option is to find a group that plays at High Pitch as there are tons of old HP brass and woodwind instruments in antique shops that can be bought for a good price as they can't be used alongside LP instruments. So a group made up of players of these old instruments that would otherwise be turned into ornaments could get another lease of life.

None of the HP woodwind instruments can be made to play down to 440Hz unless they have considerable surgery done which will be prohibitively expensive and probably end up costing as much to have done than it would be to go out and buy a used pro model built to 440Hz.

Converting a clarinet from HP to LP in its most brutal manner involves cutting the joints into several pieces and splicing in spacers to lengthen the joints to space some of the toneholes further apart and refinishing the bore, then lengthening the keywork as it'll no longer fit between the pillars, fitting new main action rod screws and then tuning and voicing work which is altering the toneholes.

It'll be a much easier thing to do on brass instruments by lengthening the main tuning slide and other slides all by the required/relative amount as they're effectively played by altering the entire length of the instrument as the whole length of the bore is used on brass instruments (ones with valves and slides that is) as opposed to woodwinds having a series of toneholes that are opened and closed for each note which are all in a set location.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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