 The Fingering Forum
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Author: mtyrie
Date: 2003-12-18 19:00
Can anyone please help me resolve the problem of undertone on my clarinet. I am finding it very annoying and have tried hard to get rid of it. Any advice would be appreciated.
Many thanks.
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Author: richard
Date: 2003-12-19 00:47
an undertone is annoying especially playing in front of an audience. An undertone is produced accidentally beyond the player's will. It is difficult to prevent the undertone. It is due to the overall construction of the clarinet, the reed, the ligature, the keywork etc.
My plastic jupiter always produce an undertone. But my leblanc and buffet seldom give one. I don't know why.
Conversely, a clarinet will produce an overtone, commonly known as "squeeks". It is even more annoying than an undertone. The "squeek" can be controlled by better embrochure, reed quality, ligature position etc. .
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Author: mtyrie
Date: 2003-12-21 11:08
Richard: Thanks for your reply. I am playing on a Leblanc Esprit and have tried different reeds and altering the way I play, all to no avail. Is this a common problem with Leblanc clarinets? Is the only answer to change clarinets?
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Author: richard
Date: 2003-12-21 14:25
I think you mean the undertones produced when playing the notes from G5 to C6 in the clarion register.
I play on a leblanc sonata, the brother of your esprit.
It does not have the problem.
My plastic jupiter often produces the undertones when playing at that range.
You may try changing the height and position when pressing the register key with your left thumb until the undertone disappears. On the other hand, you may take out the screws fixing the register key and clean the vent hole.(If you are not experiened in reparing,let a technician do it for you.)
Hope this helps.
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Author: sömeone
Date: 2003-12-24 12:28
Sorry but can someone explain to me what is an undertone and how do i know if its an undertone?
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Author: zaabway
Date: 2003-12-24 22:58
I think what they're discussing is a hoot-like tone that can precede certain notes before the wanted note kicks in. It's my impression that this is one of the many irksome things of the clarinet acoustic design, and for us, usually clears up as we spend more time with the instrument and gradually correct our own flaws. I wouldn't bet on it being a problem with a particular instrument, but how we deal with that instrument.
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Author: richard
Date: 2003-12-25 12:36
Sometimes when you play the the notes from G5 to C6 in the clarion register using your left hand, a much lower tone rather than the one you want produced. That's to say when you want to play G5, a lower tone sounds instead of G5. This is called an undertone and it is not welcomed by most players. The undertone usually happens in some models and make of clarinet of unknown reasons. Somebody said that it is due to the blocking of the vent tube of the register key. (You can see the register vent tube when you fully depress the register key with your left thumb)
It is more commonly happen in an A clarinet. Someone said that because an A clarinet has a longer register vent tube than the Bb instrument.
Happy X'mas
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