 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Loucas Vasilarakos
Date: 2017-07-18 23:38
I have recently noticed water bubbles around my throat tone A/G# keys. Even after swabbing the issue seems to persist. Any ideas how to solve this, particularly while in performance?
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-07-19 00:06
The quick way in performance is to blow firmly back through the water-blocked tone hole, then swab at the first opportunity.
Once you've swabbed the water out of the bore, you generally have to also blot up whatever is in the hole. A lot of us use cigarette paper, but I more often slide a corner of my swab under the pad to blot the hole clear - my swab is generally already out, while my package of papers is closed up in my case and less accessible..
Swabbing often can help prevent this, but if you play in an air-conditioned environment or one that's just naturally colder than normal, you'll get condensation in the bore, which inevitably seems to find its way into a tone hole - if not A or G#, then farther down in the side Eb/Bb or LH C#/G# holes.
Karl
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Author: Loucas Vasilarakos
Date: 2017-07-19 00:11
Thanks! I've been doing all this, just trying to find something that'll maybe be more effective in the long run.
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Author: Burt
Date: 2017-07-19 01:28
Avoid laying your clarinet horizontally as much as possible. When you do, keep it turned with the side keys up.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2017-07-19 02:13
Swab the clarinets often. Condensation is a real issue with these keys. Use a good quality swab. Some players make their own, for a number of reasons such as wear on the bore, some types of swabs absorb better, some swabs get stuck on that octave key. Try to whip your horn maybe every 30 minutes and you should be OK in most cases. It's also a good idea to wash the swabs often, so have a few of them. Maybe every week or so. This will help keep the horn clean and the pads will actually last longer. If you are sick it is a good idea to switch swabs every time you play as well as washing your mouthpiece. The cold may not last as long. You won't keep exposing yourself daily to the same germs on the mouthpiece and the reeds, giving your body a chance to heal.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: zhangray4
Date: 2017-07-19 04:38
In addition to swabbing, you can cut out a small rectangle out a thin microfiber cloth and stick it under the keys to absorb the water.
-- Ray Zhang
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Author: jthole
Date: 2017-07-19 05:22
zhangray4 wrote:
> In addition to swabbing, you can cut out a small rectangle out
> a thin microfiber cloth and stick it under the keys to absorb
> the water.
>
I use coffee filter paper for that.
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Author: Richie
Date: 2017-07-19 06:38
I'd also like to add that in my experience that this sort of thing is worse on skin pads then with cork.
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Author: ClarinetRobt
Date: 2017-07-19 07:28
Sure I swab frequently. Yamaha's Power Paper and BG's Pad Dryer work well...better luck with them than with zig-zags.
But with my grenadilla horn, I go all old school and add a little EVVO to my swab. The olive oil (or bore oil) coats the inside of my horn. Moisture slides to the bell. I rarely have any further problems.
I suspect others will give you a litany of reasons to not do this, but it works perfectly for me.
~Robt L Schwebel
Mthpc: Behn Vintage
Lig: Ishimori, Behn Delrin
Reed: Legere French Cut 3.75/4, Behn Brio 4
Horns: Uebel Superior (Bb,A), Ridenour Lyrique, Buffet R13 (Eb)
Post Edited (2017-07-20 04:34)
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2017-07-19 15:16
You can try lightly oiling the bore and hope that the water decides to take a different course afterwards.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-07-19 16:47
As far as bore applications are concerned, my repairman has put a thin coating of beeswax (applied melted) just above the tone hole that has become a water magnet. It repels the water, diverting it around the hole and sending it farther down the bore - sometimes to the next tone hole lower, sometimes not. It helps, but the water is still there and most of it finds a way out before it gets to the bell if allowed to collect inside.
Karl
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-07-19 17:00
Canless air:
https://canlessair.com/
Big box store small shop vacuum accessories kit:
https://tinyurl.com/ya4dcznf
1) Crazy/epoxy glue one of the two wands that come with the canless air to the inside of the concentrator tool from the accessories kit.
2) Once the glue dries attach the other end of this wand to the canless air device.
3) Remove clarinet mouthpiece, set aside.
4) Slide strong rubber band on to canless air to hold down on/off switch and enable the device.
5) Stick assembled clarinet barrel under chin, make seal.
6) Stick powered on canless air into bottom of bell.
7) Open and close keys to concentrate air flow out.
8) Remove canless air from bell and concentrate on open[ing] keys known to collect water.
====
At home, use another concentrator on a clean version of the vacuum on which these attachments normally go, placing the hose in the exhaust:
https://tinyurl.com/ydhtmvb4
Water will be "afraid" to enter your clarinet again. ; - )
Post Edited (2017-07-19 19:12)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-07-19 19:04
I have a clarinet which is particularly prone to doing this. I tried several things without much success, and eventually decided to try a silicone water-displacement spray designed for automotive use. The problem holes were the A and G#, so using a long cotton bud I applied it around those tone holes inside the bore, and also on the obvious track that the moisture was taking within the bore and also on the walls of the 2 tone holes. It fixed the problem as far as those tone holes were concerned. I still occasionally get moisture build-up, but its nowhere near the problem that it was.
Tony F.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2017-07-19 21:26
Much of the problem is not the instrument but the way players are shaped.. a good swab is best...also try to keep the instrument upright on the rests...if you have a long period without play moving the clarinet while playing where feasible may move some of water around...also avoid caffiene before playing and eat 2 hrs. before a performance...
David Dow
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-07-20 01:22
"the way players are shaped"
I don't know if I follow your intended message here Mr. Dow.
Are you suggesting variety in players such as the degree to which they exhale moisture as the otherwise normal byproduct of respiration???
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Author: ClarinetRobt
Date: 2017-07-20 04:43
Tony...that's brilliant. Specifically are you using an FDA (which probably isn't relevant) approved Silicone spray? Brand doesn't matter since (I assume) they're basically the same...like what a typical hardware store would sell. My dad use to joke, we sell WD40, but use spray silicone for our (cough) stuff.
~Robt L Schwebel
Mthpc: Behn Vintage
Lig: Ishimori, Behn Delrin
Reed: Legere French Cut 3.75/4, Behn Brio 4
Horns: Uebel Superior (Bb,A), Ridenour Lyrique, Buffet R13 (Eb)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2017-07-20 12:26
I don't have the spray to hand, but it was whatever the local auto parts supplier had on their shelf at the time. I think it was made by 3M. FDA doesn't apply here in Oz, although we have our own equivalent. I doubt that it was approved, but as it wasn't going to come anywhere near me I didn't worry too much.
Tony F.
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