 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: ClariJet
Date: 2021-07-30 02:59
Question for those who are good with repairs and modifications:
I was a buffet player in my youth and later switched to Selmer models- currently playing the Privilege, which is a wonderful horn but for one altissimo G fingering (LH 1, sliver, Eb key) which is always slightly flat. Even in a hot room in the summer the best it can be is dead on-which is never good for a note that high. On buffet I didn't even need the sliver most of the time because it's so high.
I've tried other models and notice the same thing. Shorter barrels or a different mouthpiece doesn't change it either. It's also not a matter of me adjusting- I've been playing it full time for three years. There are plenty of other fingerings so I can still get by, but my life would be so much easier if I could raise the pitch of that one fingering by about 10 cents. It's simply the best for legato and quiet entrances.
Sorry for the long explanation, but my question is: Is there a modification that can be done that won't throw anything else out of whack? Opening the first finger tone hole? Changing the register tube?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2021-07-30 19:56
Same. I played on r13s before switching to Yamaha. I basically gave up on that high g with only the sliver key above mf. I’ll use the C sharp key to raise it up.
Even though I miss the ease of that high g. I appreciate that my horn doesn’t have a super sharp high b or stupid flat e below that that would require the C sharp key above a mp.
It’s a good trade off.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2021-07-31 05:05
There might be mouthpiece/barrel bore anomalies that contribute to that. just use another fingering - there are zillions of them.😏
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: donald
Date: 2021-07-31 07:46
The other thing is that if you raise the height of the ring keys, this improves venting of the e/b/g, and also the f/c slightly, often raising the pitch of the altissimo g...
As the right hand rings are also raised by this you may then need to fill in the top hole (lower joint) to slightly flatten c/g/e.
This is how my Buffet Festival is set up, and the alt g is use able with a variety of barrels etc
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ClariJet
Date: 2021-07-31 08:00
I do use others as I said, but that particular one is special. So easy to reach, so much easier to get without popping or breaking legato that I think it's worth investigating.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tom H
Date: 2021-07-31 08:16
What's the sliver key? I gave it a Google with no luck.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-07-31 17:42
The banana shaped keys in between the second and third fingers of each hand.
For the above, it would be the right hand one.
................Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2021-07-31 17:43)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Simon Aldrich
Date: 2021-08-01 01:26
Tom H - The sliver key in question is often referred to as the fork F#/B key (the key you use for B natural and F# in a chromatic scale).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John Peacock
Date: 2021-08-01 17:29
Interesting that you focus on the G. I've had the chance to play several Selmer Prestige instruments (both original and current model), and what stood out was that the altissimo F natural ![[F6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/f6.gif) was really low. This was true on both the Bb and A. In addition, the altissimo D ![[D6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/d6.gif) was badly flat on the A. This tends to be a lower note on A clarinets compared to Bb (certainly on Buffets), but the issue on the Selmer was significantly worse than normal. Flatness with these notes is more problematic than G6, as there are fewer good alternative fingerings. I'm curious to know if you found these notes to be OK on your instruments?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2021-08-01 18:01
Hi John. On my R13's I use the rh sliver key for the F6 you mention instead of the rh pinky G#/D# key. For F#6 I use both the sliver and the pinky key. (Both referring to the standard "short" fingerings for those notes.)
Since Simon mentioned the rh sliver key, I'm wondering if the original post was talking about the rh one or the lh one.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John Peacock
Date: 2021-08-01 22:57
Philip: I think the original post must have meant the LH key. I just tried fingering G6 as described with either of the sliver keys (on a Buffet), and the version with the RH key wasn't anywhere close to being up to pitch. But the one with the LH key is quite good in terms of pitch and a smooth slightly covered sound - certainly feels like it could be a good option for pp entries up there, even if not so practical for fast passages.
Your suggestion for using the RH sliver to sharpen F6 is a good one, although on my Buffets I find that note is not so bad with the standard fingering - and if I want it a little sharper then the long fingering delivers that for me. But on the Selmer Prestige, the standard F is still too low even with your RH trick.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ClariJet
Date: 2021-08-03 00:31
My A clarinet is a recital (Yes, I mix and match!) so I can't comment directly. On my Bb, I have noticed that the f is much lower than on buffet, but with the sliver it's always been manageable. For me, that D you mentioned has been a dream. A super high note on buffet, but on my selmer privilege Bb it sits just right.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
