 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: m1964
Date: 2024-09-01 10:30
I noticed that when I get a clarinet to seal well, I can play the long B, then release/close the register key while continue blowing and the note/sound will change to the lower E.
Does not happen playing a clarinet that does not seal great. Play the long B, close the register key but the long B keeps coming out and never changes to the lower E. If I stop and tongue the lower E it will play.
Can this be considered an easy leak test? I understand it does not pinpoint the leaky pad but at least it reveals that the upper joint has a leak.
Thanks
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Author: ruben
Date: 2024-09-01 11:17
A great tip! Thank you. I will try it.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2024-09-01 12:46
Sounds great, thanks for sharing! Will try also on bass (including the notes below low e, with and without the register key). ![[up]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley24.gif)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2024-09-01 17:38
If the clarinet is leaking, it may well cause what you're describing. On the other hand, it could turn out to be a reed test as much as a leak detector.
I'm not sure why you think a leak that would cause this must be in the upper joint.
I would put a slightly different spin on this. I would suggest that this is the kind of symptom that makes an experienced player first suspect something might be wrong with the seal. Once suspicious, you'd then try a vacuum test (closing off the openings and sucking air out to try to create a vacuum) on each joint and, depending on the result, go on from there.
Karl
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2024-09-01 19:41
>> Can this be considered an easy leak test? <<
No. Whether this happens or not varies depending on the player, mouthpiece/reed setup and the clarinet itself. You don't change... most likely... so if you use the same mouthpiece and reed (or a similar reed) then it's probably the same or very close... but the clarinet can make this more or less likely to happen.
The location of a leak can cause this to happen or not, meaning some leaks won't really make a difference to this specific test.
With the way some players play, the B will remain even with a clarinet that completely seals.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-09-01 20:37
It's not a reliable test as the upper register (3rd harmonic) is stronger than the lower (fundamental) register and releasing the speaker key won't instantly make the B drop a 12th to the low E without tonguing the lower register note.
You rarely have downward 12th slurs in clarinet writing - they may be written, but they're not generally played as slurs as it's unreliable to expect the lower register note to speak instantly without tonguing it.
Flutes and oboes can do upper to lower register slurs fairly easily with the help of breath pressure, but they're far more difficult on clarinet without tonguing the lower note.
I've had clarinet players come in complaining their clarinet isn't working as they can't do a clean and instant upper B to low E slur. I can't do it cleanly and don't know anyone who can without tonguing the low note. I challenge any clarinettist to be able to do that even on a clarinet with perfectly seating pads and completely bottle tight joints.
The most airtight combination you can ever get are either perfectly prepped and seated cork or synthetic pads coupled with either a plastic, ebonite or metal bodied instrument with perfect tonehole crowns and no other flaws in their construction. Some wooden instruments can still have leaks in the wood due to open vessels or poorly fitted tenon rings and other fittings.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2024-09-03 06:11
Thanks a lot to everyone who replied- first I tried this on an R13 I fixed and it worked (releasing the register key caused long B to go to low E).
However, later I tried it on my own clarinet which seals fine and I could not repeat the "test"- released the register key but long B would not change to low E.
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