 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bb
Date: 2002-06-06 18:59
Am I sharp, or is it the clarinet? I gotta pull out my barrel about the thickness of a penny and my middle joint(where low C is) about the thickness of two pennies. Am I sharp, or is the clarinet tuned wrong?? I use the Vandoren profile 88, M13(which is tuned to A=440) and a V12 #5 (no, the reed's not hard, it feels and sounds fine) and my clarinet is a R13 Vintage (which is also tuned to A=440). My teacher has the same set up( well, almost, she uses an R13 and a M15 mouthpiece)Why do I have to pullout and my teacher doesn't??Am I playing the clarinet wrong???
By the way in a couple of hours is my graduation!!!!! (from 8th grade, but I'm still excited) wish me luck Cause I think I'm gonna trip!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
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Author: William
Date: 2002-06-06 20:25
I wouldn't worry. Those "pulls" that you have described are normal adjustments most clarinetists have to make. Your teacher may have a longer barrel joint or use a more relaxed embouchure. Another factor in your sharpness may be your reed strength.
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-06-06 22:41
Good luck at your graduation! I always have to pull those joints out a little, otherwise my low E is out there...
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-06-07 13:25
I've got a couple of clarinets that I have to do the same contortions with to play in tune, but my 1966 R13 doesn't require as much manipulation. So I wouldn't worry about it too much.
However, since you mentioned your embouchure, I'll bring up the question of where you apply pressure. If your pressure on the mouthpiece is heavily weighted to vertical pressure (teeth to lip), you might be making the problem worse. The most often overlooked area of embouchure development is usually the lateral (side to side) pressure. One way to tell is to have someone try to wiggle the mp/barrel side to side while you are playing. With adequate lateral pressure, you should remain pretty stable in your playing. Resist the urge to slap the person as they perform this service . . . unless you sense that they are enjoying it way too much.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-06-07 16:33
Bb -
Two pennies' worth is a lot to pull out the middle joint. If the instrument plays in tune with itself, though, you can live with it. However, that much will make things wobbly. You need to have a repair tech. glue a cork ring to the end of the tenon, so that the gap is filled and the joint is stable.
Before you do this, you should have your teacher play your instrument to make sure it's the horn rather than you.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Gerry
Date: 2002-06-07 19:56
If you want to check your tuning, you could get, if you don't already have one, a little Electronic Tuner such as the Korg CA-30. These are available in abundance on eBay for about $20.00 including shipping and are really wonderful little devices. Check under Musical Instruments, Woodwind, then search for "Tuner". You can set it to whatever Freq. you want, such as 440 or 442. It will tell you the note you are playing and whether you are in tune or not. Your R-13 may well be right on while the others are not. Works really well for me and the price is right.
Hope this helps.
Gerry.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-06-08 03:40
If you pull out the centre tenon more than the thickness of hte timber at the end of the tenon it will likely make the clarinet wobble at this joint. This may affect the bridge key linkage.
It is a good fit of the timber rather than the cork itself that makes a joint stable. The purpose of the cork is to seal, and to stop the joint falling apart.
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2002-06-09 04:38
I second William. 5 is an extremely hard reed, and harder reeds will play sharper than reeds that may be too soft for you. Embouchure is likely to also play a part in the problem. I don't know how thick pennies are so I don't know how far you are pulling out.
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Author: James Garcia
Date: 2002-06-10 17:56
My Gosh!! An 8th grader playing on a 5 reed with that resistant of a mouthpiece? I'm surprised you have not died of an Aneurysm. I don't know any professional who use that hard of a reed. Could that possible be your problem? I think it would be very hard for any person to have a correct emboucher playing on that set up, atleast I know I couldn't. Please, try something like a Richard Hawkins Mouthpiece piece and a 3.5 to 4 strength V-12.
Also it is a possiblity that it could be yourself. I mean you are in 8th grade. I don't know any eight-grader with all the fundamentals down (ie. emboucher, tounge position). I know that probably sounds like an insult but I hope you don't take it that way. I remember back my freshman year (in hs) I was in a lesson with Julie DeRoche and I told her my horn was out of tune. She told me that it was myself and I got pretty offended. But over the three more years that I have had to play the clarinet, and really get to know my "A" concerto, it has great intonation. I also back in my jr high years used to think the strength of your reed meant how good of a clarinet player you are but it doesn't mean anything of the sort. Like i said try a more typical reed strength. Good luck with your endevors.
-James
PS. I have found out that the more i know about playing clarinet, the more i realize i don't know.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-06-10 20:42
Aussie Nick, fyi, a U.S. penny is roughly 1.5mm in thickness. I got measurements on a new one ranging from about 1.34mm to 1.55mm - depending on the area of the coin being measured.
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Author: Roland Berger
Date: 2002-06-16 16:00
Your sharp pull out or get a mouthpiece or barrel and try slightly softer cane.
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