 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ruben
Date: 2025-12-05 14:17
I know that at Julliard, they have repair classes for oboists. Do clarinetists also have them? I think it would be a really good thing if repair classes were on the curriculum of many music schools. We wouldn't be so dependent on technicians, many of whom don't know how to play.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: garyfraga
Date: 2025-12-05 16:28
Clarinetists usually don’t get formal repair classes like oboists — adding them would be a valuable curriculum upgrade.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2025-12-05 23:07
For what it's worth I think having instrument repair classes as part of EVERY performance curriculum would be invaluable. Not only would it allow more instrumentalists to have control over there horn's performance, but it would expose all these students to a possible new passion and/or career path. We as a community of clarinet players could most certainly benefit from a larger pool of competent repair technicians (certainly here in the States).
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2025-12-05 23:18
We got nothing at Queen College in the 1970s. Repair knowledge would have helped a lot during my band teaching career.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-12-06 00:14
Paul Aviles wrote:
> For what it's worth I think having instrument repair classes as
> part of EVERY performance curriculum would be invaluable.
>
>
...not to mention Paul how I think nothing bad could come of players having a greater understanding of how and why the clarinet works like it does, from harmonics to 12ths, to placing its tone holes in ways that compromise pitch, not just simply from a repair standpoint as you mention, but because, speaking in metaphors "the pilot should know a thing or two about aerodynamics beyond merely pushing and pulling levers and buttons in the cockpit"
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-12-06 00:49
I have a professional oboe player friend.
He told me that oboes have a few regulation screws that every professional player needs to know how to adjust.
According to him, oboe is very sensitive to temperature and humidity changes so the instrument may play well today and not tomorrow.
Also, he told me that if an oboe has a leak in the upper joint, the notes would not speak, unlike a leaky clarinet that still plays, maybe with squeaks.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2025-12-06 01:20
What happens when you are in the Faroe islands or in Tanzania to give a concert and your clarinet doesn't work?! I wish I knew how to do at least a few basic repairs. I'm good at knowing what's wrong, but not at putting it right.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: ruben
Date: 2025-12-06 14:20
Needless to say, learning a minimum of instrument repairing wouldn't put the technicians out of work. Knowing first aid doesn't put the surgeons out of work.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-12-06 17:01
I only ever show oboists which three adjusting screws they should touch to help the altissimo register and the upper register and lower altissimo C#, D and Eb to speak cleanly, as well as which of the other 20+ adjusting screws they shouldn't even look at.
That's ONLY the adjusters on the 3rd 8ve key (for altissimo E or F upwards), LH1 fingerplate (as we tend to lift LH1 off instead of rolling down in the UK) and the one on the low C touchpiece arm (to adjust the closure of RH2 for the lower altissimo). That's it.
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: 2025-12-06 20:01
ruben wrote:
> Needless to say, learning a minimum of instrument repairing
> wouldn't put the technicians out of work. Knowing first aid
> doesn't put the surgeons out of work.
>
No it wouldn't put the repair guys out of work. But it would be a help if the repair techs would hold back from complaining when you finally bring the instrument in for a proper repair and adjustment after you've had to do a little emergency gerry-rigging to get through a gig.
Karl
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Author: ruben
Date: 2025-12-06 23:57
Hans, many thanks. I erased your email by mistake.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-12-07 01:21
kdk wrote:
ruben wrote:
"... it would be a help if the repair techs would hold back from complaining when you finally bring the instrument in for a proper repair and adjustment after you've had to do a little emergency gerry-rigging to get through a gig."
Karl,
I once had to remove a tenon cork that was glued on by superglue - was not an easy task, to say the least.
One thing is placing a rubber band over a leaking pad, another is a "repair" like the one above...
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Author: brycon
Date: 2025-12-07 03:02
Quote:
I know that at Julliard, they have repair classes for oboists. Do clarinetists also have them?
There weren't any clarinet repair classes there 10 years ago. But I also don't think there were any oboe repair classes. Elaine Douvas probably had some repair tech(s) come to her studio class, and there may have been someone speak to the woodwind seminar class. But I don't remember there ever being a formal course on repair.
At any rate, the best repair techs in NYC, LA, Philadelphia, etc. are doing such incredible work. What they do couldn't be learned in a class: it would take an apprenticeship and years of experience. I think the repair skills most players need could be (and often is) covered in studio classes at the college level.
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