 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kosmo
Date: 2011-03-11 03:53
I play a Ridenour Lyrique clarinet, and I have never had any problems of any sort before now. However, I took it out to practice and found something rather odd. The clarion-range C and B natural weren't playing properly (extremely airy, and sounded wrong) while all other notes sounded clear and fine. I took out a tuner and found that both B natural fingerings (with left pinky/right pinky and just right pinky) and the C were actually playing as a C# (concert B).
I compared to another clarinet and found that all the keys appeared to be pressing down the right pads, etc, except for one which was wrong. I don't know how long that key has been wrong or what might cause it, seeing as I don't use that fingering hardly ever.
I have no idea what would cause this. It was playing absolutely fine earlier today. And it is not somehow caused by my embouchure or the upper joint at all because I replaced the lower joint of my Ridenour with a lower joint from a Noblet and it worked fine.
Any ideas?
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Author: clarinetist04
Date: 2011-03-11 04:01
Sort of sounds like a pad isn't covering a tone hole completely. Can you post some pictures for the techs on this board to look at?
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Author: Kosmo
Date: 2011-03-11 04:11
That seems odd since all the pads are almost brand new, but I suppose it could still be the problem.
What specifically should I take a picture of?
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Author: Kosmo
Date: 2011-03-11 04:27
Okay, actually, I discovered the culprit for part of my problem: there is definitely a pad that doesn't completely cover the tone hole unless pressed directly. It sticks up a bit. It's not adjusted wrong, it just doesn't go down by itself. How can this be resolved?
However, the other problem seems to not be fixed by pressing that pad... Left hand B and right hand B play two different notes, neither of which are B. Left hand B plays a C# still (but it is clear and unmuffled) whereas right hand B plays a C about a quarter tone flat.
This is really worrying me...
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-03-11 04:52
I assume you also have a problem in the lower regsiter E and F? It sounds like the F#/C# pad doesn't close. Something is probably binding in the mecahnism. Maybe the hinge, maybe something is rubbing against part of the crow's foot. Maybe something with the spring is causing the problem. If the difference is consistent between right pinky and left pinky B, maybe there is enough flex/free play in the mechanism so the binding is different. Seeing the clarinet, it would probably take less time to find the problem than to type this post.
Can you bring it to a good repairer to check? You don't need to worry much, the solution would be to find the exact cause of the problem and repair it. To identify the exact problem on the forum and repair it yourself might be possible but maybe not, it depends on what the problem is and what you can do yourself. Try to find exactly what key doesn't close, when it doesn't close, does it close seomtimes, does it stay close, does it open without opening it directly, etc.
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2011-03-11 14:20
left hand : probably the keys are slightly bend , so the c# comes down together with the b-key : happened on arrival of my ridenour lyrique. Other possibility is indeed something wrong on the crow's feet area .
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Author: PrincessJ
Date: 2011-03-11 14:33
Did you "bump" it? Did you squeeze one of the keys too hard while assembling/disassembling the instrument? That could have bent a key.
Check your key corks, maybe one of them has fallen therefor not allowing all the keys to work in unison the way they need to?
-Jenn
Circa 1940s Zebra Pan Am
1972 Noblet Paris 27
Leblanc Bliss 210
1928 Selmer Full Boehm in A
Amateur tech, amateur clarinetist, looking to learn!
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2011-03-11 14:44
Whatever the problem turns out to be, it's unlikely to be anything really serious. If it was working OK recently, then fundamentally it's OK. Work the keys individually while carefully checking for something binding, loose pads or springs that have been displaced. Possibly a loose screw. Go over the instrument with a small screwdriver and gently check that all the pivot screws are tight. Is it possible that the bridging linkage was bent when the clarinet was assembled or disassembled?
Tony F.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2011-03-11 15:50
take it to a competent repair professional. The fix xhould be easy and inexpensive; most likely a bent key or lever.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-03-11 18:43
My clarinet frequently plays the wrong notes. Even though the instrument is in perfect condition. Darned clarinet.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2011-03-11 19:09
Mine, too. And it seems to me that the older it gets, the more wrong notes it plays.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-03-11 19:18
> My clarinet frequently plays the wrong notes. Even though the instrument is in
> perfect condition. Darned clarinet.
I exchanged the aux-Eb key for an Undo Key. Works like a charm. :-)
--
Ben
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2011-03-11 20:42
Ben, I want one of those!
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Kosmo
Date: 2011-03-11 20:42
I did, in fact, figure out that the C# key was being pulled down with the B key... thank you! It all seems so simple once you realize what's going on, it looses the allure of mystery . Anyhow, I'm glad to see the issue and realize that it's just two keys too close together.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2011-03-11 21:19
Be very careful how you hold it when you put it together. I try to keep my fingers on finger holes when I am putting an instrument together (it will also make sure that you don't forget to use some cork lubricant). It's just way too easy to bend LH side keys on the lower joint if you're not careful. I am amazed by how many clarinets I have worked on that suddenly stopped working but worked just fine after I lifted and centered the trill key pads on the upper joint. They needed to be swedged because they had had too much side pressure applied to them too many times during assembly and gradually developed hinges that were so loose that the pads were no longer seating on the tone holes.
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Author: chris moffatt
Date: 2011-03-11 22:40
Dave S: if you have an available USB port on your clarinet I can let you have a spare MIDI interface so you can just download from your computer and play the correct notes every time...
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-03-12 00:32
USB port, you mean like Norfolk Virginia, where all the big USB ships dock? I don't see what that has to do with clarinets.
Besides, I just use the Miles Davis Credo: "If you play a wrong note, play it again".
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2011-03-13 00:44
The amazing thing I notice about the defects in my clarinet are that they tend to be worse and more obvious when I haven't played for a few days in a row.
Who'da thunk?
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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