 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bluesparkle
Date: 2012-01-06 14:30
My loving husband has endured a couple of years hearing me voice the fact that I really wanted a C clarinet for the purposes of church music. I'll mainly be playing along with choir anthems or with our church orchestra that lacks an oboe player, so it's non-professional use.
For Christmas he gave me an Amati C clarinet. I am very excited. I have selected a mouthpiece that I believe works well, and am ready to go. The only thing I'd like to investigate is the fact that 4th line D sounds and feels stuffy. The B and C before it speak nicely.
Any thoughts about how to address this?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-06 15:26
Is the low G stuffy as well?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: clarinete09
Date: 2012-01-06 17:37
Did you have your new clarinet adjusted by a repair tech or are you playing it as it came from the factory? A good adjustment can fix the problem!
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2012-01-06 18:09
How is the G# a twelfth below? Is the D only stuffy or is it flat as well?
Check the pad that opens for G#/D# to make sure it's sealing. Also look at how much clearance there is under the pad that closes for C# and maybe for C as well.
The problem is always that when you do anything to a "clarion" note, it affects the chalumeau twelfth as well.
If there's not a small leak somewhere and the pad clearances are OK, a little undercutting of the open holes immediately under the D might help, but it will sharpen the low G, which could be more of a problem than the stuffy D.
Karl
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Author: Bluesparkle
Date: 2012-01-06 23:46
The low G is a bit stuffy, but not quite as much as the D.
D is in tune but feels resistant. The pad that closes for third space C seems closer to the body than the other pads. Could that be the culprit? If so, how does one go about pulling it out a bit?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-07 05:11
That's what I was getting at - from what you mention it definitely sounds as though the lowest and largest pads may not have enough venting which will make the G and D stuffy, so they will all have to be tweaked to increase the venting.
It's not a simple thing to do as it involves a fair bit of bending all the RH pinky keys to increase the venting and also put everything into regulation once the increased ventings have been determined and then getting the touchpieces all lining up properly, so best left to a specialist rather than a DIY job.
This next bit might go over your head a bit but bear with me.
The inherent problem with Boehm systems is they only have the one tonehole for G and D to issue from which can only be made so large in diameter.
On German systems and some Boehms they have two pad cups on the F/C key with the extra one lower down the joint covering a tonehole pretty much level with and opposite the F#/C# tonehole which gives better venting, compensating for the closed standing F#/C# tonehole so there isn't a closed tonehole directly below the one G/D issues from. So you effectively have a forked note when playing low G or upper D (xxx|xxx) as there's a closed tonehole directly below the one that G/D issues from.
If you look at the lower joint and see which keys are open and closed standing when playing certain notes, this should make more sense. B and F# (xxx|oxo) are also forked fingerings as there's a tonehole closed directly below the one the B/F# issues from - on some B&H 1010s and Reform Boehms, they have an Acton vent which compensates for the closure of RH2 to make the B/F# (and altissimo Eb) an unforked note. You may notice on some instruments B or F# (and definitely altissimo Eb) is better made with the 'sliver' key fingering (xxx|xo/o) as this fingering gives the proper venting.
German/Oehler and Albert/simple systems with the patent C# (or double C key) have addressed this as have some bass clarinets (eg. Buffet and Selmer) plus some soprano clarinets have it (eg. reform Boehms) as does an older model Leblanc soprano and also their Ab sopranino clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-01-07 12:40
If Boehm had actually redesigned the clarinet himself (instead of Klose and Buffet), I'm speculating here in that it would most likely be a fully vented instrument like his redesigned flute and may have an open standing C#/G# key, only later changed to a closed one with twin LH3 toneholes for players not used to open G# keys as what happened to Boehm system flutes.
It's only been given the name 'Boehm system' due to the ring key configuration which sets it apart from simple and German system clarinets which developed from the 5-key clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2012-01-08 20:17)
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Author: Bluesparkle
Date: 2012-01-08 20:08
Chris- thanks for the insight. I understand the basic physics of what you described. Sounds like a stuffy D may be something I'll have to live with for a little while.
I've always wondered how different the Oehler and Albert systems were compared to Boehm, which is all I know. I was afraid the learning curve would have been bothersome.
I also play bass recorder in a recorder ensemble, and while similar to clarinet, that fingering is enough different to make me take a slight pause before committing a finger combination at times.
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