The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2003-01-03 19:19
Yesterday we had quite a snow storm start up; it's lasting through today as well. There was no way I could get the clarinet to sound good for more than 2 minutes. Changes in reeds, swabbing the instrument, and using the paper on the keys - all did little to change the pretty awful sound of a normally great sounding instrument. I understand this happens due to the weather causing warping and so on. Any comments from long-time players? What if the weather changes the day of my exam?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-01-03 19:41
Brenda...In your reed preparation and break in procedures, have a few reeds which are slightly too hard, and some which are slightly too soft, for days when the humidity changes drastically.
Proper balancing and sealing of reeds can immensely help stabilize them against atmospheric changes.
A search on this board, under reed preparation, break in procedures, etc... will yield lots to read. Many of us have given tips which have gotten us through those "bad times"...GBK
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2003-01-04 15:20
1)Make the body of your horn warmer by your hand and blwoing your
warm breath into it for 2-3 minutes.
2)After that make warm up procedure such as scales or arpeggios
prefarably for more than 20 minutes. This procedure warms up not only the player but also the instruments.
(There would be literatures on warm up procedure on this BBS.)
Any instruments do not work properly, i.e. flat intonation and bad vibration of themselves, if they are far colder than their design temperature of some 20 degrees Centigrade.
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Author: d dow
Date: 2003-01-04 17:12
Tremendous storm raging presently here in canada and can honestly say my reeds are working fine...sometimes when the seasons are changing I note a change in the way some reeds tend to resist. Weather also affects thre way the clarinet warms up and the way the pads seat sometimes. be sure not to blame bad weather on a bad reed....
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-01-05 03:52
If you are playing in a cold environment and not blowing sufficient air through the instrument to KEEP it warm, then the intonation will be well out for a start.
I find this quite a problem when playing long soft passages in a cold orchestra pit. The air in the bore moves so slowly that the bore actually cools while I am playing, even if I have warmed it prior to playing.
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