The Clarinet BBoard

RE: Out of Tune Bb

Author: gretchen  Date:   2002-01-08 03:52 to clean the whole, take the key off by using a very small screw driver and take the screws out...but make sure that you don't lose the small screws! take a pipe cleaner and clean out the whole. After putting the key back on... If you get water in any of your keys in the upper joint this trick is popular and very effective. (make sure you have cleaning paper w/ you after you do this though.) Take the upperjoint by itself in your hands. With your left hand, cover all of the wholes as if you were playing a C. With your righ hand, cover the bottom of the upper joint with your palm to make a tight seal (where it connects w/ the lower joint) so that no air can escape. then blow on the top part of the upper joint (where the barrel should go.) You should not be able to get any air through the horn because it is all stopped up. Now, with your left hand, push the octave key down and leave everything else...as if you were playing a high G instead of a C. this way, only the air will leak out of the octave key hole and the water that is there behind it is forced out. You can do this on any key as long as evetything else is sealed. have a good time emptying your tone holes! happy clarineting! Gretchen

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RE: Out of Tune Bb

Author: Clarice  Date:   2002-01-08 07:48 hey Russ, Although it looks like you've got enough responses I would just like to say "I know what you mean!' Recapping on what everyone else said tuning wise, you should try placing fingers 2 and 3 on the left hand down aswell as the whole right hand- to attempt a venting effect. Try experimenting with different combinations eg finger 3 on the left hand and 1 and 2 on the right. But you will never fix it if you don't think about it so make sure you figure out with a tuner first if your flat or sharp. On the matter of your tone quality I really think its to do with support and you embousure combination. Try this, sit up straight and inhale a breathe through your mouth super fast and pause, the support you can feel around your stomach should be like that the WHOLE time you play the clarinet. Well I really hoped I helped, goodluck. Clarice

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RE: Out of Tune Bb

Author: ron b  Date:   2002-01-08 08:27 Well... :] Make sure the A key adjustment is okay, Russ, that it's lifting the Ab/G# key as well. If that's okay, then check your register key pad. First, the register pad should be cork because a cork vent pad works best if it's tapered to an inverted cone shape, top flattened where it contacts the vent hole so it will make a good seat. If yours is not like that, it's easy to shape it yourself with a fingernail file (grit) board or a small piece of medium grit sandpaper. Remove the register key to look for the impression of the vent hole (careful, it may not be centered exactly). Now, shape the cork to slope away from the Outside of the impression toward the key cup, being careful not to scratch the metal. As stated in above responses, clean the vent hole. Pipe cleaners work well if there's stuff in there. In a pinch, remove some of the cotton from a Q-tip (better than nothing). If you have key oil, put a tiny amount on the hinge screw at this point. Reinstall the key. Now, make sure the pad clearance is okay. The clearance doesn't need to be more than the diameter of the hole. Assuming other things are all right, a clean vent and a properly shaped cork pad should improve things a bit If you don't want to mess with all that, ask your repair tech to do it. It's a minimal cost, while-you-wait adjustment. Gotta run now, I hear all the techs winding up to start throwing bottle caps : It's not really as complicated as it may sound and hopefully it'll make for some tuneful tootin' :o)

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