 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Deborah
Date: 2002-12-27 00:37
Hello everyone,
Well I do have a clarinet now.(I've had it for about 3 days now) wooden Selmer 100 and playable!
I'm remembering notes fairly well and what I don't know I'm figuring out easily enough, but I do have a problem. Here it is in a nut shell... my fingers on my right hand don't seem to cover the holes correctly so the clarinet leeks air where it shouldn't and squeaks! I can go from middle C to C and I can play down to A. However the D after the C (Not middle C)and the G after the A.. I just can't seem to get at all.
I remember I had problems with this before. My clarinet teacher said it was something I shouldn't give up on because "You are doing really well. You're one of my best pupils." However "that your fingers are to skinny/small to cover the lower holes correctly" However he didn't have any answers for me how to correct this problem and now it's becoming a problem to me again. Is there anyway to correct this problem? Something I can do to my fingers or something to do with the clarinet? The hole I have the most problems with I've noticed is larger then the others, and I don't really want to mess around with the clarinet holes....I might do something to change how good the instrument sounds.
I did get the clarinet at a pawn shop with I could take it back in 24 hours. I took it to a music store (I found a second music store in another small town near here) right away and they played it too and it sounded so nice....so I know it's not the clarinet! In fact the music store said I got a very good deal on it....$90 with tax and everything.
Is this something that I can do something about? Or is this something where I'll be needing to transpose music to be able to play? I'm mostly playing for relaxation, but maybe an occasional solo in church if asked.
Well any help would be greatly appreciated it. Thanks!:)
Hope you all have a Wonderful day!
Deborah
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Author: john
Date: 2002-12-27 00:53
Dear Deborah,
Try looking in the mirror when you are playing the clarinet. Make sure your fingers are directly over the tone holes and play slowly from low C up to high C, watching your fingers as you play. Make sure that every tone hole is covered properly as you are doing this. If your fingers are covering the holes properly, then there is probably something wrong with your horn, maybe a small air leak some place. Or, perhaps you may be touching a side key and opening it up by accident. Try the mirror and you will know for sure. I have never seen anyone with fingers to small to cover the tone hole of a clarinet. Good luck and let me know how you do.
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Author: Benni
Date: 2002-12-27 01:02
Also, make sure you are using the pads of your fingers, and not the tips, or part of the tip and part of the pad. Without playing, try pressing very hard on the holes you are having trouble covering and seeing if you get a circle imprinted in the middle of the pad of your finger (with skin all around the circle), or if it is closer to the edge, allowing air to leak out. Perhaps then you could adjust your finger placement very slightly based on this and check again to see if you're getting a better seal.
I had one of my friends who plays baritone horn who wanted to play a little clarinet try this, and it helped her to better visualize sealing the tone holes.
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Author: Hans
Date: 2002-12-27 01:07
It sounds to me more like a leak for some reason rather than your fingering. I wonder if the bridge in the middle of the instrument might be slightly out of adjustment. This is something that needs to be exactly right during assembly of the instrument. You could try holding down the upper half's keys and rotating the bottom half until the keys dont go any lower. Then do it as well with the lower half. I haven't explained this very well I'm sure. Let me know if you need more clarification.
Good luck,
Hans
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2002-12-27 02:09
Deborah,
The Selmer line, especially the clarients from the 60's and 70's, have very large tone holes in comparison to other models. That is why I do not recommend the Selmer student models for beginners. The boys and girls with long slim fingers just can't cover those lower joint tone holes. The low G is especially bad.
Now, the Yamaha and the LeBlanc (Vito/Normandy) have more managable tone holes in the lower joint. You may want to investigate (or compare) the difference in your Selmer and one of these models. I do not know your hand and finger configuration so I can not comment of it is your fault or the instrument that, by design, may not be suited for you.
jbutler
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Author: Pam
Date: 2002-12-27 02:30
I would second the suggestions above about finger placement. My teacher once had a student who as a young boy had small fingers. At first, the student had to learn to place his fingers in precisely the right place to cover the holes on the clarinet adequately. With practice, he could do it though. (Over time, he grew physically enough so that the problem resolved itself.)
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-12-27 04:34
It does sound like a good deal for a wooden playable instrument.
To answer your other question, transposition is not necessary if playing an unaccompanied solo, but to play with the organ or a piano, you indeed do need to transpose. There are many explanations here of how, do a search on this board for "transposing" or "transposition." However, many modern digital pianos, keyboards and some electronic church organs (including Allen organs) offer a transposing function, the accompanist can adjust the instrument to match you.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-12-27 16:01
Deborah -
Every beginner or re-starter has trouble covering the holes. It disappears within a couple of weeks, as you develop finger memory and become more aware of how it feels in your fingertips to cover the holes properly.
If your fingers are extra-thin, then you might, as John Butler says, be more comfortable with a non-Selmer model. It would be worth going back to the music store and trying a Yamaha, a Vito or a Buffet. But if you look in the mirror and your fingers are wide enough to cover the holes, I wouldn't worry.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Malaya
Date: 2002-12-28 01:12
Isn't there a manufacturer that makes a closed-hole clarinet? I swear I've seen one before... Perhaps not though.
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Author: Deborah
Date: 2002-12-28 20:14
Thanks for all the responses! I'd have replied sooner, but ended up with the flu. Blah! Anyways I'm better now and trying out different suggestions and this is what I'm finding.
1) I did look in the mirror and I wasn't covering all the holes correctly. So I'm starting to practice this in front of a mirror.
2) The clarinet was out of adjustment. Adjusting it is still tricky for me, but I'm learning. Seems like I never had to worry with this with my old Vito.
3) I've also tried looking on my fingers if mistakes are made and can usually see where I'm off. This is helping me learn exactly where my fingers are needing to go.
4) As far as my fingers go they are short and skinny. I'm not one you'd look at and have someone think that those long fingers would make her a good clarinetist or whatever. My piano teacher, organ teacher and clarinet teachers all tried to discourage me from ever playing an instrument. I might have a hard time with things sometimes, but I don't give up!
5) My Selmer was made in 1985. Especially that one tone hole it's just bigger for whatever reason. As far as a different clarinet goes we don't have the money for it. However now with all the help from the list here I'm starting to get the notes that I just couldn't get a couple of days ago. I still need alot of work and practice, but I'll get there eventually.
Oh guess what? Someone came to the house today and never knew I'd ever played a clarinet and when they heard me playing they asked if I've been playing for years. I said no I just picked one up again a few days ago...hadn't touched one in about 15 years. They thought it sounded good, which made me feel good...They could tell what I was playing anyways so hopefully that is a good sign.
As far as transposing goes if I ever played with the pianist or organist I would need to traspose. The pianist and organist have never had lessons of any kind....not even in music theory. They're totally self taught. You never know though...the pianist plays really well for the piano she's playing on...so she might be able to tranpose. The piano and organ don't transpose though....I've played them...these were made before the ones that will do all that nice stuff (like transposing) for you. I had never got as far as transposing anything in my lessons. I only had about a year on the paino a couple months on the organ and about 2 to 3 years with the clarinet. However I do like to sit and mess around with note combinations and how things sound different ways so I can probably figure it out if I ever need to. I sure miss my piano...that would help me figure transposing out if I ever need to and I problably will need to at some point.
Thanks for all the suggestions, they're really helping! You all have suggested stuff that I just wasn't thinking off!
Thanks again!
Hope you all have a really wonderful day!
Deborah
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