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Anti-gurgling protocol

Author: fskelley
Date: 2017-09-17 02:25

For starters, any of you can search this forum and find many threads on the various methods for dealing with water (condensation? saliva? who knows) interfering with play. Unless you're soloing on "Under the Sea", gurgling has no place in your music.

I recently increased my daily song practice quota from 10 to 13. Turns out the additional 3 songs, sometimes more than that, are all "underwater" if I don't do something about it. So I reviewed past comments and made my own choices, which were immediately effective.

1) Swab after every 4th song. I don't usually like brush type swabs, but I had an old one. I added a stiff long handle so I can swab my assembled clarinet from the bell all the way to the register tube. It'll all fit in my case and travel to gigs.

2) Position my mouthpiece tilted not centered, maybe 5-10 degrees. Clarinet tilts left, thumbs move to right. Actually feels better that way, probably now would feel wrong centered. Your mileage may vary.

Only gurgle since new protocol is when I forgot to swab. So the tilt on its own definitely would not do it, and may not help. But it's OK.

If these hadn't done it, next I would have tried Vaseline inside the offending tone holes. That requires disassembly.

Stan in Orlando

EWI 4000S with modifications

Post Edited (2017-09-17 02:27)

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