 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kbclanton
Date: 2019-02-08 21:05
I get for a number of reasons why one would want to brush their teeth before playing clarinet. That part is obvious. However my question has to do with the fact that I will have now residual toothpaste in my mouth. How much should I worry about rinsing out the toothpaste before playing my clarinet? It's not that I don't rinse out, but it's a matter of how much toothpaste that is residual needs to come out first. I look forward to your thoughts on this matter.
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2019-02-08 22:23
Useless to worry about this. Spend your time practicing. :-)
B.
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2019-02-08 23:22
After rinsing there is no significant residual toothpaste in your mouth. Any lingering trace will be quickly dissipated by normal processes. I agree with B.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2019-02-09 09:37
I just rinse with water before practicing. I know a fine pro player who drinks something like from Starbucks then immediately plays the concert. I always brush my teeth after supper when I have a rehearsal or concert that night. Probably not necessary, but a life-long habit.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2019-02-09 10:10
I repair quite a lot of clarinets from local schools where the only problem is sticky pads caused by the sugary residue from soft drinks. Sugar isn't readily soluble in alcohol, so warm water is the trick.
Tony F.
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2019-02-09 22:38
I guess it all depends on what type of setting you're used to.
It isn't uncommon for those in "gig" settings to eat on their way to the gig or during breaks, etc. It is usual for the performers to drink various types of drinks while on stage performing.
Fazola's clarinet was reported to smell so strongly of garlic that it was unplayable for those who inherited it.
Fuzzy
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2019-02-10 05:04
Any minute amount of residual toothpaste will cause no damage, whereas playing with a mouth full of acidic gunge from eating will.
If I can't quickly brush my teeth I do just as Tom and rinse my mouth with fresh water to disperse the contaminated saliva.
It won't affect your sound one whit, but I think it will increase the longevity of your reeds significantly.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-10 06:08
Of course keep in mind that what pours down the center of you clarinet is the condensation caused by the hot air from your LUNGS condensing the water vapor in the surrounding air onto the interior walls of your clarinet.
There may be a small SMALL percentage of detritus from your spittle that finds its way into your horn but that is truly a tiny amount.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2019-02-10 06:54
Hi Paul. I'd welcome reading about any study demonstrating the condensation-only thing.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-10 09:15
What's the need for a study? You have far more drip in the Winter than in the Summer. And probably none on a hot Summer's day outside in the sun. Is that because one doesn't have saliva in the Summer?
Here's a better idea (if you don't mind a pink reed. Down a full container of Hawaiian Punch and then play. See if there is any red color to drops on the floor. I would say no. But I'm ready to give it a whirl (I use plastic reeds........no problem!).
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2019-02-10 18:05
I‘ve already said it and I’ll say it again:
After consumption of carbohydrates like glucose, fructose, maltose or even lactose, the ph of your saliva becomes slightly acidic. While brushing your teeth can reduce the acidity, I‘d probably not play directly after a meal. The amount of certain (pathogenic) bacteria correlates with your carious lesions, peridontal diseases etc., so IF you’re worried about your instrument, get your oral health right.
There is NO way to „disperse your contaminated salive“ by rinsing with water, as Caroline Smale put it. It’s literally always contaminated, unless you use special mouthwashes (ie H2O2, Chlorhexidine), and that of course only REDUCES the number of bacteria. Generally speaking, your mouth is always contaminated with more than thousand different species.
Sorry if I sound a little harsh, but if you’re worried about your instrument because of what your saliva might do to it, I’d probably be mainly worried about my mouth ph, which can mainly be improved by maintaining a good oral health. I cannot judge how the wood detoriates through contact with saliva, but I‘m sure the liquid that my bass clarinet neck collects isn’t just condensation water!
Re toothpastes, the only thing one would possibly have to be worried about are the added minimally abrasive particles, but I cannot imagine how that would affect my clarinet. In general, it’s better not to rinse after brushing your teeth, just spit the toothpaste out, so a bit of the fluoride can stay over the course of the next hours.
Best regards,
Christian
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2019-02-10 19:32
Someone wanted at test, and a few people insist that a significant amount of the "water" in a clarinet after playing is saliva, not condensation?
Test the pH.
B.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-10 20:01
........PERFECTLY SCIENTIFIC STUDY
............Thesis: After consuming a McDonalds' #2 Breakfast Meal and downing it with two full glasses of Hawaiian Punch, no amounts of food detritus or Hawaiian Punch will be found down the barrel of a clarinet upon playing until there are rivulets of moisture running out the bell.
..........Materials Used:
o Buffet R13 Greenline Bb clarinet
o Fobes Cicero mouthpiece
o BG Duo ligature
o Legere Signature Soprano Saxophone reed
o McDonalds' #2 Breakfast Meal
o Hawaiian Punch (2) glasses
o Bounty Paper Towels (pure white)
Subject (me) consumed a McDonald's #2 Breakfast Meal and finished off with (2) full glasses of Hawaiian Punch.
Subject immediately grabbed the Bb clarinet and commenced practicing until there were copious amounts of solid streams of moisture rolling down the bore and dripping off the bell of the clarinet. Subject grabbed a Bounty tissue and dabbed the droplets hanging off the bell. The towel had no sign of food residue or pink color.
Subject then disassembled the clarinet to insert a twisted length of fresh white paper towel into various segments. The top section of the bottom joint showed no signs of food particles and was clear moisture (no pink coloration). The top of the top joint showed no signs of food particles and the moisture was clear. The barrel showed no evidence of food particles and the moisture was clear.
The subject (me) then inserted a twisted length of yet another new section of solid white Bounty Paper Towel into the mouthpiece with the Legere reed still attached. Since the plastic reed (Legere Signature Soprano sax reed) is clear, the very end of the twisted length of paper towel could be seen bumping against the underside of the reed. Upon observing the paper towel once withdrawn there was no evidence of food particles at all, however, the very tip of the paper towel that had come in contact with the underside of the reed had turned pink.
Subject concluded by sloshing clear water in mouth and spitting into bathroom sink. The water in the sink was pink.
Conclusion: A modicum of spittle does indeed find itself accumulating upon the underside of the reed (interior to the mouthpiece) while playing. It can be assumed that over a long playing session and over the course of time, there will be a small percentage of whatever can be transported through spittle (NOT solids) will eventually find itself passing through the bore of the clarinet.
----------------------------------------
Now, am I worried about that percentage of "stuff" that goes down a clarinet.......no. But that does not mean in any way that I discourage good dental hygiene or the necessary "clean" feeling that some must have before playing. And yes, if you are continually swigging Coke in between phrases as you practice over the course of months and years, you probably will have sticky pads.
...................Paul Aviles
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Author: Kalashnikirby
Date: 2019-02-10 21:06
Hehe, n=1
Actually, your Post hints at what I've been constantly thinking about some sorts of "clarinet wisdom". There's often exactly 0 evidence. At least you went as far as to test wether or not some particles can be found in the clarinet. But often, people make certain claims and have nothing to back it up. I know there was some sort of study on how the lack of maintenance in public school instruments can have sanitary consequences for the next user.
Obiously, your breath carries all sorts of substances with it. A ketoadcidosis (diabetic symptom) can lead to a noticable smell of acetone when you exhale. Or of course, alcohol.
Now neither a poorly adjusted diabetic nor a drunk would play the clarinet, but I suppose there's all sorts of substances you might blow into your clarinet, albeit in marginal amounts. So I wouldn't be as naive as to assume what comes out of my clarinet is "just" condensation water, it's just apparently not that harmful. I do tend to wash my mouthpiece with clear water, as I don't enjoy the slightly disgusting look of detritus on it.
Here's 2 pieces of anecdotic evidence: A guy I bought a clarinet frome told me, that he had to rather regularily had to change clarinets, for they were quickly getting "blown out". The Uebel Superior I got (but eventually returned) had such a weirdly eroded portion in the upper bore that I really wondered what he did to his instruments. I renember he had a bad breath and from what I could gather a not-so-perfect dental status. I don't know anything else about how he maintained his instruments, but this sure gave me a good scare.
Another clarinet I maintained had this charecteristic smell of a periodontosis in the upper bore that I'm more familiar with than I'd like to be. Also, the owner had recessions and slightly inflamed gums (plus that breath...!!) that I'm almost certainly not jumping to conclusions! Still, I do not think this had a measurable negative effect on her instrument.
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