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Re: Is there a solution for stuffy notes?

Author: Chris P
Date: 2020-01-14 00:25

D/A (which issues from the LH3 tonehole) is effectively a forked/not fully vented note as the C#/G# tonehole immediately below it is closed.

Reform Boehms and some others have a D/A vent in the form of a small pad cup soldered to the LH3 ring key or a vent or side key linked to the LH3 ring or fingerplate on some larger clarinets (eg. Buffet Prestige and some other basset horns**** see below).

The note C/G issues from the lower joint ring key vent (as shown in the above reply) and the RH ring key pad should open by around 3mm to clear both the lower register C and also the E which will suffer from stuffiness if the RH ring keys aren't opening enough. This is also exacerbated by using a reed that's too strong and most noticeable in the lower register.

Fully vented notes on regular Boehm system clarinets are (from lowest to highest):

E/B
F/C
F#/C#
Ab/Eb
Bb/F
B-F# when played with the xxx|xo/o fingering*
C/G
C#/G# (although compromised by the tonehole size/location)
D/A
Eb/Bb with the keyed fingerings (long Bb fingering does add some resistance)
E/B
F/C
F# with the side key fingering
G (open G)
Throat G#, A and Bb (although throat Bb is better quality using the trill key)

Therefore the 'forked' or not fully vented notes which have one or more toneholes closed below the one the note issues directly from are (lowest to highest):

G/D (F#/C# tonehole is closed below it)**
A/E (Ab/Eb tonehole is closed below it)***
B/F# with the xxx|oxo fingering (RH2 tonehole is closed below it)*
D/A (C#/G# tonehole is closed below it)****
F# with regular LH1 only fingering*****

* The Acton vent fitted to some B&H 1010 clarinets and reform Boehms effectively fully vents B/F# with the xxx|oxo fingering and also allows altissimo D#/Eb to be well tuned with the oxx|oxo Ab/Eb fingering.

** Some clarinets have the F/C key fitted with two pad cups which effectively vents the G/D.

*** Some basset horns and others have a vent key linked to RH3 to fully vent the A/E.

***** Some basset horns have a twin tonehole for the left thumb to fully vent F# when played with LH1 only

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

Post Edited (2020-01-14 00:26)

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