 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Musikat
Date: 2014-01-11 09:19
I have been playing the clarinet for 30 years and consider myself a good player. Recently I began volunteering for a middle school band and tutor about 4 young clarinet students. In the course of that tutoring I have tried all of their rented instruments, identified when they were unplayable and found better ones through trial. Today I took on a paid student for the first time ever. He is decent for his age, and plays on an instrument he owns (I don't remember the make, but it might have been Yamaha). HE can play the instrument from top to bottom in both the low and high register and can reach high C. For some reason I decided to try his instrument with my mouthpiece and barrel (as I have a number of others at the school) and I could not get a sound out below C/G at all! It either didn't play or squeaked. Once I was able to make a sound, but it was very difficult to play. I handed it back to him and he played it with no problem and claims it isn't any harder to blow in the lower notes than the upper joint notes. Any thoughts what could cause this? His mother says it was overhauled two months ago and is understandably reluctant to pay again to have it fixed. The only problem I could identify is that the joint wobbles quite a bit.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-01-11 11:28
Try playing it again, noting very carefully the positions of your fingers with regard to the sliver keys and the Ab key. I suspect you're inadvertently touching one without realizing it. You may not even feel the contact. If you still find it won't play, try rolling your finger around one at a time and see if it plays.
Tony F.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-11 13:03
If the middle tenon rocks, that can cause problems with the long Bb regulation so either the long Bb won't work as the LH2 ring key vent pad won't close, or the RH ring key vent is being held open slightly which can cause the lower joint notes from C/G downwards to be resistant, more liable to squeaking or just not work at all.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2014-01-11 16:33
The 3-ring key is often the culprit. It can be held open by the A/D key and can be leaking itself- or the rings may be too high. The student may be pressing way hard or somehow closing the tone holes even though the rings are high.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Musikat
Date: 2014-01-11 20:41
Thanks for the advice. I did try several times to play it, pushing harder on the rings, adjusting my fingers, playing with much less force (that seemed to help some). Steve, I think you might be right. He is a sixth grade student age 11/12 and has much smaller fingers than I do, so his ability to close the holes without pressing the rings all the way down might be the culprit. I think the mom is going to get it checked out and I did mention the rings as a possible issue. The joint is quite loose, so that definitely needs to be addressed no matter what. This brand has a ring between the two joints that has a middle "dot" that fits in a groove in metal ring of the upper joint.
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Author: Musikat
Date: 2014-01-11 20:46
Steve,
I was just looking your shop up yesterday. I'm down in Annapolis, and will probably bring my clarinet in for an overhaul when I get time. How much would you estimate it would cost this kid's mom for an adjustment like this (either the rings or the middle joint corkm assuming it is one of those)? I'm sure she took it to a Music and Arts or similar and they charged $100 to overhaul it.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-11 20:48
Vito clarinets have a notch cut in the lower joint socket ring which locates on a metal insert at the middle tenon shoulder to ensure the joints line up.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2014-01-11 20:52
I was thinking the same thing. He may be pressing very hard and closing some pads that you're not. You could also be slightly touching one of the throat tone keyys, G# or A with out realizing it. Check to make sure the A throat key is closing tight. You can easly do that by either blowing air through the top joint blocking the bottom half while blowing through the top half while closing all the opened holes. Or you can place a thin piece of pad paper under it and feel if the key is closing tight. The screw on top of the A key may be keeping it opened a tiny bit and he's able to play through it. It could also be some air space resulting when you place your mouthpiece on the barrel or in the middle joint not being lined up perfectly. If all this fails see if your top joint fits his botton joint and see if it plays. If it does you know the problem is in his top joint meaning there's a slight leak in that joint. There has to be something leaking slightly some where and it sounds like it's in the top joint.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2014-01-12 17:47
I can't give firm estimates without seeing the instrument. Adjusting the rings is quick. If there were no other issues it would be free. If I spent more time correcting adjustments it could be in the $20 range. If some of the pad work has problems then it goes up.
Steve
Steve Ocone
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Author: Musikat
Date: 2014-01-12 16:13
Thanks, Steve. I have passed the information on to the mom, in case she wants to visit your shop.
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Author: Funfly
Date: 2014-01-13 17:39
On my Yamaha I have only to brush against the key with the little finger of the right hand for it to 'block' and be unable to get the C etc.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-01-13 18:08
Sounds like the key is a loose fit so the pad doesn't seat properly every time - if it can take a tiny knock to render it unplayable, then this needs to be addressed as that unreliability can happen when you don't want it to.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2014-01-18 13:15
To me it sounds possible the bridge key is out of adjustment - possibly bent during assembly. (Try playing with the A/D key off.)
Its's also possible that the right hand rings are too high relative to the tone holes (even if the bridge key is adjusted right). The kid can play because he has daintier fingers that can seal the tone hole inside and below the ring.
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