 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Jerry Zis
Date: 2002-07-22 05:40
Just purchased a new Selmer 10SII; plays well except for a weak and fuzzy throat Bb. The register key seems to open enough.....any ideas??? (Yes, I am familiar with the alternate side key fingering....) Thanks....
Jerry Zis
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-07-22 11:21
1. Make sure the pad is lifting far enough. If you close it very slightly - a fraction of a millimeter - while playing, it should not make the tone fuzzier still.
2. Make sure the register tone hole is clean. Even a few threads of fluff make a difference.
3. Use a cork pad shaped to an inverted frustum, i.e.decapitated cone, so that there is less turbulence as the air negotiates its way around the pad when the air vibrates in and out of the vent. The face of the cork closing against the vent should be no larger diameter than needed to seal against the vent. Ideally the pad should be fairly thick, projecting well from the key, which means bending the key a little to regain adequate venting.
4. A couple of new Selmers I saw recently had a sudden (but still cylindrical) constriction to a smaller diameter for about a millimeter at the bottom end of the vent, as if it was drilled undersized, and then redrilled but not right through. They had fuzzy notes. I asked Selmer Paris if this was normal and if I should redrill to the larger diameter right through. The reply was that they would send replacements. So that didn't really answer my question. That was 2 months ago. A reminder was ignored.
This could well be your problem. I see numerous examples of Selmer's lack of quality control, and this could easily be an example of it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rene
Date: 2002-07-22 12:11
Wouldn't it be a good idea to remove the register key and see, if the fuzziness is still there?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-07-22 23:25
Yes. If the fuzziness wasn't still there, then you would know that the problem is covered by 1 or 3 in the above list.
If there is any sign of fuzziness I ALWAYS change to a shaped cork pad for register keys. It makes a huge difference. So the only test still needed is the one I gave for "1". That is why I would not test by removing the key, which takes longer.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Burt
Date: 2002-07-23 00:24
I have the same problem on my mid-1950s Buffet R13. My teacher says that from a few feet away, the note sounds a lot better than it does to me. Ask somebody to listen.
I frequently use the side key fingering. Since I had my thumb rest moved half an inch closer to the mouthpiece (to ease hand strain), the side key has become easier to use.
I also use resonance fingerings when the fingering doesn't get too complicated. This involves (in addition to the register key and A- key normally used on the throat Bb) covering other holes. My favorite is to use both ring fingers and the right hand index finger. But find one (or more) which works for you without being too flat. Covering these open holes is akin to putting a closed organ pipe (representing the standard Bb) in line with an open pipe twice as long, leaving a space between them. The second pipe reinforces the pitch.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Rene
Date: 2002-07-23 06:13
I almost always use resonance fingerings. I do that to such an extend that I would have a hard time to switch to another clarinet with other good fingerings. But the benefits are obvious.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jerry Zis
Date: 2002-07-23 23:48
Thank you all for your suggestions---it turns out that the solution was somewhat similar to Gordon's #3..... inspection of the Bb pad showed it to be a cork cone similar to a volcano; i.e. a cone with a depression in the center that matched the rounded shape of the octave vent---HOWEVER--a small plug of cork was left in the center when they machined this piece (like an island in the center) -it was exactly the same diameter as the vent hole, and in fact it dropped into the vent hole when the key was closed. Taking Gordon's suggestion, I carefully cut away this little plug and cleaned up the cork to insure a good seal. Voila!! Now the Bb plays about as well as can be expected. And, the altissimo range is much easier to play. Again, thanks to all for your kind assistance! !@@#$%&^* to Selmer for making this sloppy piece on an otherwise good instrument. Happy playing!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-07-24 04:50
The cork wasn't machined like that. Almost certainly it became like that because of regular and excessive pressure on the cork, probably the way the clarinet was held during assembly by the player.
Because of the inclination of cork to do this it is not the ideal material. It does not need to be as resilient as cork on such a small surface area. Shaped leather (or similar) would probably be much better; it could cope with the abuse of excessive compression.
Hmmm... I must look into using it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
