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 my clarinet is always sharp
Author: vitoclarinet 
Date:   2005-05-04 23:40

Okay, I have a vito clarinet which sucks and no matter how much i pull the barrel out, my band instructor always complains that I'm 10 cents more sharp than everyone else in the band. What should I do? Your help will be greatly appreciated. thanks.



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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: sinkdraiN 
Date:   2005-05-05 01:10

Student clarinets are pitched on the sharp side. Try pulling the barrel to get the open g in tune and then pull the middle apart to put long b in tune.

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: pewd 
Date:   2005-05-05 02:22

run a leak test - any leaky pads?
have a tech check it out.
old horns with leaky pads, missing key cork, etc. will have intonation issues.


have another clarinet player play your horn - is it sharp when someone else plays it?


whats your mouthpiece/reed/ligature setup?

- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: Don Berger 
Date:   2005-05-05 13:05

Good advice above. Some mouthpieces are shorter than others. I like to measure them as well as barrels, believing that the total length, about 66mm + 72 mm is the "tuning factor". Try it ! Don

Thanx, Mark, Don

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: Avie 
Date:   2005-05-05 13:34

I was aware that the barrel length would make a difference but not that the length of the mouthpiece makes a difference! Thanx, Don.



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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: jim S. 
Date:   2005-05-05 15:31

Lee Gibson said ("Clarinet Acoustics", Chapter 14) "In their effects... the mouthpiece and the barrel need to be treated as one viable unit".

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: Mark Charette 
Date:   2005-05-05 15:52

jim S. wrote:

> Lee Gibson said ("Clarinet Acoustics", Chapter 14) "In their
> effects... the mouthpiece and the barrel need to be treated as
> one viable unit".

But that isn't quite correct. They are interdependent units to be sure, and for simplification they often are considered to be one unit, but their effects are often separable.

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: Clarinetgirl06 
Date:   2005-05-05 19:07

Is the vito supposed to be tuned to A=440? I have heard of some clarinets that are to be tuned to A=442. (the e-ll maybe, not sure) Don't know if that would make a difference. Buying a different barrel and mouthpiece combo would be your best bet if your clarinet is in fine condition. Are your reeds too hard? I think if your reeds are too hard, then it can make you play sharp (visa versa with soft/flat playing).



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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: BobD 
Date:   2005-05-05 20:30

Two things: Not all mouthpieces work well with Vitos and You may not have the barrel that went with the original clarinet. Vitos don't "suck"....they are all respectable horns.

Bob Draznik

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: bflatclarinetist 
Date:   2005-05-05 23:21

Yeah, I know my post got deleted. I was just giving advice.

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: jim S. 
Date:   2005-05-06 14:35

Certainly the shaping of the bore in the mouthpiece and barrel are significant factors, as we all know. But I think Gibson was drawing attention to the fact, that isn't so well known, that the total volume of the two sections is also an distinct and very important factor that needs to be entered into the calculation.

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: Llewsrac 
Date:   2005-05-06 16:40

Much excellent advice here for you to draw upon.
1. Musical instruments do not suck , only players.
2. What is the condition of your embrouchure? Properly formed, firm,
cheeks, chin, teeth on top of mouthpiece, or sloppy. lose?
3. 10 cent flat, purchase or borrow a click tuning barrel, with the help of
your director watching the strobotuner for you, adjust barrel to 60 mm,
start the tuning process increasing the measurement up to 66 mm.
Somewhere between 60 - 66 mm you will come in tune. That is the length
barrel you need to play in tune.
4. Perhaps at this point your director will devote some time to discover
what is causing your flatness. Seems to me this solution would be to
not only yours but also the Bands advantage for the director to solve.

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 Re: my clarinet is always sharp
Author: Mark Charette 
Date:   2005-05-06 16:56

Llewsrac wrote:

> Much excellent advice here for you to draw upon.
> 1. Musical instruments do not suck , only players.

Huh? There are duds that will never be in tune no matter what (short of rebuilding from the ground up). That probably isn't the case here, but it sure as heck happens.

However, you are semantically correct since musical instruments are supposed to be inanimate objects (though some seem not so inanimate).

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