Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2014-11-08 06:41
Has anyone come across hardware, (e.g. a change in register tubes), or a repair change that has yielded them a better sounding throat Bb when simply playing the note as if it were a throat "A," along with the octave key?
I realize there were recent posts on just such register tubes, but the problem being addressed there was intonation.
I understand that the throat Bb note has its sound shortcomings in part because the position of the octave key, like many things about clarinet design, presented tradeoffs between keeping other notes in tune and the throat Bb acceptable in sound, if not the clarinet's prettiest note. (If someone wants to correct/clarrify that please feel free.)
It seems to me, if the above is correct--and it may not be--then clarinet designers could open different holes when the octave key is depressed, depending upon whether the throat "A" key were depressed as well--much like how some Backun clarinets handle low "F" correction (differentiating it from its similarly fingered, twelveth up..."C5," based on whether the octave key is depressed.)
If I haven't made this clear, invision the octave key opening one hole for a note such as E5, or B5, but yet another hole when sounding the throat Bb.
Of course such a design might present problems hitting some notes in the stratosphere, with weird fingerings that require both the octave key and the throat "A" being depressed (fingerings that I'm unaware of.)
I do realize the presence of harmonic fingerings, and I'm a fan of sounding throat Bb, where possible, using the second from top side trill key on the upper joint, along with the fingering for a thoat "A."
Ideally, I'm just interested in making the standard fingering of the throat Bb sound better, because the better this base note sounds, the better the additional harmonic fingering will sound as well, I think.
This thread was inspired by a recent experience with a friend's clarinet, where her throat Bb, with standard fingering, sounded worlds better than that I could achieve on my own clarinet with the same standard fingering, using my mouthpiece/reed/ligature.
Could the type of pads, or their distance from the clarinet when open make changes--bearing in mind of course that there's only so much one can make adjustments to these keys opening heights given the levers they are on, and their position under the throat "A" key.
Many thanks.
Post Edited (2014-11-08 06:45)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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