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Re: Vandoren tuning rings, good or not?

Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2019-06-17 04:32

Kaos wrote:

> I am a conservatory student, me and my teacher noticed that my
> clarinet started to play one semitone sharp in all the
> instrument range.

I'm hoping you're using the wrong term and that you mean some other unit. A semi-tone (half-step) isn't something that will be fixed by pulling out a little. That's the difference between a Bb and an A clarinet, and the difference in length is considerably more than that.

If pulling out "a little" corrects the pitch, the correct tuning ring will do the same thing without leaving the gap between the end of the tenon and the shoulder of the barrel socket. I've found that, as far as I can tell, a tuning ring isn't worth the (admittedly slight) inconvenience of having to keep track of it in my case (they fall out when the instrument is disassembled). If I need to pull the barrel more than a millimeter-and-a-half or so, they do seem to improve the response, I suppose because that gap inside causes some amount of back pressure = resistance. But with less of a barrel pull than that, I've never felt there was a difference. Clarinets aren't generally, and IMO shouldn't be, tuned perfectly to a specific pitch standard with the original barrel all the way in. You need to have some ability to adjust to higher-than-usual pitch.

If your B45 is a Traditional model, which is pitched *nominally*, I think, at A442 but might actually play higher if your clarinet is also tuned sharp, buying a B45 in the Series 13 model, which is made to play at a lower pitch (*nominally* A440, but on a sharp instrument would obviously play higher) might bring your pitch down enough. Obviously, much more expensive than pulling the barrel out or using tuning rings.

I've heard through the years that the instruments meant for beginning students are pitched sharp deliberately as you've described, and it may well be true - I've never checked for myself. But the pitch is the result of the combination of mouthpiece, barrel and instrument with some influence coming from the player.

It's very nice of your teacher to lend you the Tradition for exams and special events.

Karl

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