 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2013-11-05 22:36
I don't know what it is about clarinets. I've been playing them on and off over four decades plus, but I seem to worry that my clarinets are in unrelenting danger. When I put my clarinet together I'm concerned I might be gripping something too tightly and cause a bent key. When I'm playing and I need to go get a glass of water, I place my horn in the stand and worry that a cat will knock it over, or my ten year old son or one of his friends will do the same. When it comes time to put the instrument away, I worry I'll drop the mouthpiece in the sink while I'm rinsing it. If I leave the rest of the clarinet on the bed, I worry that a cat will knock it onto the floor or that it will somehow roll by itself. While I'm putting the horn away, I worry that the case will tip over and god knows what else will happen. Even though I have an alarm and unbreakable glass windows on my house, I worry that someone will break in and take my collection of classic old steel roadbikes, my tubed stereo equipment and my clarinets.
Am I alone?
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
Post Edited (2013-11-05 22:45)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-11-05 23:15
There's being cautious and there's being overly paranoid - chances are if you worry about something too much you may end up doing the exact thing you don't want to happen.
If you know you've got a good assembly regime and grip the joints correctly, then nothing will get bent. If you know you've got a sturdy stand and don't place your clarinet in a feline or kids' thoroughfare, then it won't get knocked over. If you've got a decent case which sits flat and the lid is opened against a wall or chair back to support it, then it won't topple over and spill its contents.
Laying a clarinet down on a chair or bed is always asking for trouble.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2013-11-06 00:21
you should get a cheap metal clarinet. There hard to break and if someone steals it the jokes on him because nobody will buy it:)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-11-06 01:38
Better yet, keep your good clarinet in the case except for performances and get a plastic Vito for practicing. With your good mouthpiece and barrel, you'll hardly be able to tell the difference. Even with the stock barrel and a Fobes Debut mouthpiece, it will play very well. I do most of my practicing on an old Buffet that I picked up for a low price because it had a metal band to close cracks above the throat A key.
You will make your own tone and music on any setup. Arnold Jacobs wrote that when a student complained about his tuba or mouthpiece, Jacobs would take it and play as well as he did on his custom made tuba and mouthpiece.
Ken Shaw
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Author: FDF
Date: 2013-11-06 01:43
I'm no expert, so take my opinion for what it's worth. You seem to have a full blown case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The more you fear something will happen and try to avoid it, the more the fear will take over your rationality. You should consult a professional psychiatric therapist. So, anyhow, you are not alone. Might help relieve some of the anxiety.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-11-06 02:55
Nah! Jewish/Catholic/Protestant/Hindu/Zoroastrian...∞ Mother Syndrome.
Ken Shaw
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Author: FDF
Date: 2013-11-06 03:14
Or, As Mother said when Ralphy asked for a Red Ryder BB Gun, "You'll shoot your eye out!"
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2013-11-06 13:05
I don't think Garth's alone at all -- I think he's admitting to having ... common sense! All the horrors on his list probably won't happen to one person, true, but they do happen, as we know because similar things have already happened to people who post here. Yeah, reading all these messages can make us a tad paranoid, but awareness of what can go wrong if we're careless isn't a bad thing.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2013-11-06 15:57
I currently have a thing about auto accidents being called such when many are just negligent behavior.
Bob Draznik
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Author: acermak
Date: 2013-11-07 16:14
I worry, too. Especially when washing my mouthpiece out. I'm convinced that they are in imminent peril of being dropped and scratched! I have sturdy stands, Hercules bass clarinet stands with pegs for my soprano, yet still I worry.
I did, in fact, drop my Greenline R13 by not quite getting it on the peg. It very gently fell on a carpetted floor and sheered it's middle tenon off. Ouch. One of these days my new upper joint will arrive from France and my R13 will be, if not as good as new, at least good enough. In the meantime, the C13 I bought as a tide me over is endearing itself to me.
So take heart, even if you do break a clarinet, unless you crush it, it can probably be fixed. If it is insured, theft casualties can be replaced (granted in the case of a much loved, hand selected instrument this is still going to be heart breaking). Mouthpiece scratches can be refaced off.
I used to worry about a thief stealing my entire clarinet collection. Then I added an alto and contra alto to my collection. Now I don't worry that they will steal the entire collection. Unless they're stupid...and strong.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2013-11-07 23:07
I worry.
My Yamaha SE A has a really tight center joint that I slather with cork grease at every assembly.
I've only got one peg/stand, so I tend to only assemble one horn at a time.
... and the cat knocking over your horn is a real worry. My wife through a chase toy while playing with our puppy, and knocked over my filigree topped music stand, and it shattered into a dozen pieces. I sometimes carry the horn to the water tap.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2013-11-08 11:53
I have similar issues. I try to remember that the fear has little or (more likely) nothing to do with the issue that seems to be causing it. It doesn't automatically make the fear go away, but it gives a certain distance from it. Sometimes it is helpful to follow the scenario the mind creates. The clarinet falls, … it breaks and… ?
Steve Ocone
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-11-08 13:11
Author: Bob Phillips wrote
I worry.
My Yamaha SE A has a really tight center joint that I slather with cork grease at every assembly.
Why not just spend a few minutes with some abrasive paper and fix the problem?
Tony F.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-11-08 13:43
Tony F -
A joint that "bites" as you put the clarinet together or take it apart indicates a wood-to-wood binding. This is a frequent cause of cracking and should be taken care of as soon as possible. Kalmen Opperman said that the adjustment should made by enlarging the bottom of the socket rather than filing down the end of the tenon. Tenons are a standard size, and decreasing the outside diameter means they will be loose in any other socket.
Ken Shaw
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Author: BobD
Date: 2013-11-08 14:55
Probably good advice, Ken,......assuming the end of the tenon was not machined oversize from the factory to begin with. Oversize cork is another matter.
Bob Draznik
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