 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2019-02-20 17:44
Hi,
I'm in the process of buying a new clarinet, and I just wondered - would it be a reasonable thing to ask the technician to adjust the spring on the right hand pinkie C/F key so that I do not need to press so hard on it to get it to move? I currently have to press very hard, which is causing wrist trouble. (I think that's what the problem is anyway.)
On my old instrument I don't have to press very hard at all to make the keys move. But then again, playing the pinkie keys with the register key pressed often causes squeaks, or no sound at all, so maybe tighter would be better.
Thanks!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-02-20 18:16
Two possibly separate issues:
>
> would it be a reasonable thing to ask the technician
> to adjust the spring on the right hand pinkie C/F key so that I
> do not need to press so hard on it to get it to move? I
> currently have to press very hard, which is causing wrist
> trouble.
In general, it's better to wait a few weeks or even as long as 6 months before you have a tech adjust anything but obvious malfunctions. Things ease up and pads settle and what's needed out of the box may not be what's needed after a period of use.
That said, it depends on how hard the key is to move. It's set up with someone's idea of the correct tension. It needs a minimal amount of tension to keep it from blowing open when you play G/D. If it's really too hard to move, have the tech relax the spring enough to get to the edge of your comfort zone. The spring may ease up further on its own over a few weeks.
> On my old instrument I don't have to press very hard at all to
> make the keys move. But then again, playing the pinkie keys
> with the register key pressed often causes squeaks, or no sound
> at all, so maybe tighter would be better.
This is more likely to be caused by finger positions than spring adjustments on the RH F/C key. Especially check your thumb position, if it's mostly the upper register that squeaks. It's easy to open the bottom of the thumb hole when you press the register key. That will cause exactly the problem you describe. But any LH finger that pulls off of its tone hole when you move your thumb to press the RK will cause the same problem.
Karl
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2019-02-20 18:39
I usually make make this spring lighter. This particular spring is a little tricky to get right. Springs on open pads like the F/C key can be made lighter without changing the pad. On closed keys the pad may not seal as well if the spring is made lighter.
Steve Ocone
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2019-02-20 19:11
Thanks, that's really useful to know.
Steven - thanks, that was what I figured. I can see that the spring needs to be tight on the closed holes, but on the open holes, it presumably just needs enough spring to open the hole again. I will ask about that then.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-20 19:54
I agree with Steven. Open pads can be lighter.
I immediately go through all spring tensions when I get a new clarinet home. The register, side keys and sliver keys can be made fairly easy in tension since the small pads are less likely to blow open. Then, the rings can be the lightest of all (and accompany that with a heavy key oil).
Of course there are different ways to think of that right hand group of pinky keys. Though the "C/F" pinky can be pretty light, I might leave it just a little more firm than what is possible to match the others.
I also believe that Karl had the "Ab/Eb" key in mind. That one is tricky because believe it or not it can slightly blow open (imperceptibly) while playing, but only to the point where you lose resonance! So that one needs to be just slightly more tense (are you ready for this description?).........than you'd prefer.
..............Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2019-02-20 20:53)
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2019-02-20 20:27
Hi Paul,
Thanks, that is really helpful to know. These are exactly the kind of things that I was hoping might be possible.
Thanks!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-02-20 21:36
Paul Aviles wrote:
> I also believe that Karl had the "Ab/Eb" key in mind.
Yeah, that's what happens when I don't go and look at the clarinet before I post. My visual memory seems to be fading fast.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-02-20 22:23
Going for the clarinet....that's exactly what I do!
................Paul Aviles.
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