 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LM
Date: 2018-12-13 22:55
My daughter is a high school student, currently playing a Schreiber 6010 (she was given a few to try out a year or two ago while her prior one was being repaired, and she found she liked that one best, and has kept it ever since.)
We're currently looking to purchase a new clarinet for her.
In the past year or so, she has played a Yamaha YCL-200ADII (which I know is equivalent to a Yamaha YCL-255 I believe), which was loaned to her at an honor band. I know this is a "beginner" clarinet, but she did have a wonderful, large tone, great response, etc.
In our recent search, she was loaned a Yamaha YCL-550 (Allegro) while her Schreiber was being repaired. She loved the tone it made. However, she says she felt the keys were more "spread out", and she had to stop several times in order to get out most notes that required the use of her right hand fingers (C, D, E, etc.) She felt she couldn't play with her normal "quickness", and was noticeably slower in playing a fast piece for an audition that was several days away. I could also see that on those fingers, her fingers were not covering the holes fully, like they normally are. She ended up turning back in the Allegro and kept her then repaired Schreiber.
We're now in talks about a new YCL-255, but we're told this isn't the direction that's ideal for her, and she needs to step up. I'm just hesitant about the "spread out" feel on the Allegro.
Does this "spread out" key thing seem to make sense? Are keys on some instruments actually made larger or more spread out? Or could this have been a simple issue with the thumb rest needing to be adjusted?
We were given the option of a YCL-450, but I'm concerned that it's the identical key construction of the YCL-550, which would be even worse, because if it is just as simple as a thumb rest adjustment, then the 450 doesn't have the adjustable thumb rest, but the 550 does (I believe?)
We are being told to just go with the 550 and her to get used to it, which I'm leaning toward at this point.
Post Edited (2018-12-13 22:57)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-12-13 23:03
Maybe the actual search should be for a better private instructor. Her clarinet teacher should have been able to answer all these questions in five minutes.
I play Yamaha CSGs but cannot speak to the exact key set up of the rest of the line. Also it makes more sense to me that spring tensions and ring heights have more to do with the "feel" issues.
................Paul Aviles.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-12-13 23:43
Attachment: ycl250.jpg (282k)
The RH pinky keys on student model Yamahas are definitely positioned further away from the RH3 tonehole chimney/ring key than on other makes, so that can cause a player with small hands to stretch to reach the F/C and E/B touches.
I have on one occasion angled these keys so they're much closer to the RH3 tonehole as well as took the lower edge of the RH ring key pillar down to be able to bring the F#/C# touchpiece in as close as possible so the player (an adult beginner with far less flexibility in her hands) could reach the RH pinky keys much easier than before.
They can be adjusted by bending them, but only have that done by someone who knows what they're doing and while the player is present to check things fit their hands better than before.
See the attachment for an idea of how things were before and after.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-12-14 02:03
Now that you mention it Chris, someone (you I guess) brought up the same issue a while ago. That makes no sense to me at all for a manufacturer to assume smaller hands would be better off with MORE stretch...........odd.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2018-12-14 02:43
Chris
Just curious, as I often struggle with making bending adjustments to RH pinky keys.
I have always tried to just "muscle it" with my bare hands or with slim duckbill pliers padded with leather. I take the keys off, wrap or fixture the keyrods to protect them it a vise and then muscle the key sideways. On Buffet and Selmer horns it is not too strenuous, but I find the keys on Leblanc (particularly the 2nd generation with the sculpted jump keys) and the keys on Yamaha are particularly hard to bend (a good thing when these are in middle school hands).
I have been thinking about what type of tool I could fashion that would be better than the duckbill pliers...curious how you do it, particularly on the student/intermediate Yamahas that as you observed, are generously spaced from the ring keys.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-12-14 14:32
Most of the bending can be done with the keys in situ and levering the touchpieces bit by bit using a polished metal bar to push them into position, but it is risky as the stress is on the pillar.
You can remove the keys and mount them in a vice with protected jaws (thick leather, aluminium or lead sheet) and keep checking progress by refitting the keys after each bend.
The F/C and Ab/Eb touchpieces are usually much easier to bend and you'll have to file out a recess in one or both of the lower level touchpieces (F#/C# and E/B) to provide sufficient clearance for the crow's foot.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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