 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: quixotickookaburra
Date: 2025-09-25 16:50
I have a pretty old wooden clarinet (By pretty old I mean like 50 years old, got it from my lesson teacher) And its worked fine for the year I've used it but for some reason during the past week I've noticed that low A is so sharp that its registering on my tuner as a Bb. I originally thought maybe it was me or my reed but I had my lessons teacher try to play on it and it was still sharp. There's also a weird rumbling sound that comes out if I play my low G but I think that's probably my barrel or mouth piece since that went away when my Lessons teacher tried it. Any tips? I plan to take it to the shop soon.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-09-25 18:06
Check the spring tension of the closed keys, especially the RH3 B/F# 'sliver' key (the one that runs across the joint between RH fingers 2 and 3) as if that's weak, it could flutter and cause a motorboating effect on the lower notes, or if the pad is leaking (either torn or not seating correctly), that can cause response and tuning problems from low register Bb downwards.
Is it just the low A that's sharp or are all the other notes equally sharp over the entire scale? If it's very old (closer to 100 years old), then it could be High Pitch and built to 452/453 Hz. It may be marked 'HP' or 'H' (or even just say 'High Pitch') somewhere on it.
Do you have any more info on the clarinet (make or model name/number) or any pictures?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2025-09-25 19:20
Chris's suggestions are the most likely causes, but a slightly more bizarre possibility occurs to me because you've noticed the sharpness only on low A. Look down the bore of the lower joint. There's an outside possibility that A was originally sharp and something - tape or putty - was placed in the hole that you cover for G to make A flatter. If it has slid out of place and into the bore, a piece of tape could become an obstruction and cause the kind of flapping you're hearing on G.
Karl
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Author: quixotickookaburra
Date: 2025-09-25 20:01
This is other information on the clarinet:
The Clarinet is a Noblet Paris from 1970 I believe. All of the high and middle notes are fine but they start getting sharper the closer you get to low A. My Lessons teacher thought maybe it could be the height of the pads above the tone holes but we compared the height to hers and to my plastic clarinet and they seem to be the same. I've tried pulling out to get it in tune but I have to pull the two joints until cork is showing for A to be in tune and at that point all of the other notes are flat.
Post Edited (2025-09-25 20:12)
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2025-09-25 21:21
Hmm, A is sharp, G rumbles. How's the G#? I'm wondering if there's a leak lower down on the bottom section, like maybe a loose pad, or maybe something not immediately obvious about the mechanism between the low note keys. Something like the pitch effect you describe could appear if one of those key-covered holes were partly open when they were supposed to be closed.
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Author: Hunter_100
Date: 2025-09-26 20:01
Maybe there is a chip of wood or some other damage in the tonehole on the mouthpiece side? Or maybe someone in the past thought the note was flat and undercut it to "fix" it? You could see these things with a strong light looking through the hole or up through the bore.
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2025-09-26 20:13
Because of similar issues, I've been wondering whether the bore sizes at "transition points", between mouthpiece and barrel or barrel and upper joint, make a difference. Should the bore diameters measure fairly closely where the instrument's sections come together? How much of a difference might this make with intonation?
Amateur musician, retired physician
Delaware Valley Wind Symphony, clarinet 1
Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, clarinet 2 (sub)
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-09-27 00:54
To the OP:
This board is a great resort for clarinet players.
However, sometimes getting a clarinet looked at by a local tech can solve many problems that are difficult to fix without seeing the instrument.
Is there a shop or tech local to you?
At least, can you post the serial number and photos of the clarinet/lower joint ?
That may allow the techs here to give a better advice.
Post Edited (2025-09-27 05:47)
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Author: graham
Date: 2025-09-29 11:41
Is it that you’ve only recently used a tuning machine to discover the problem, or that it’s only recently gone sharp and recently started distorting? Have you done anything that might have caused a crack (left it in the sun etc)?
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Author: graham
Date: 2025-09-29 18:50
Perplexity on cracks and intonation:
Quote:
A crack in a clarinet can affect its intonation, especially if the crack compromises the seal of the bore or goes through a tone hole[kesslerandsons +2]. While some cracks that do not fully penetrate or are located away from tone holes may have little or no audible effect, cracks that go through tone holes or compromise the body’s structure can alter tuning and response in affected notes[kesslerandsons +1]. If a crack is severe and causes leakage, the player may notice changes in intonation and potentially sharper or duller pitch, depending on the extent and location of the damage
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