Author: kehammel
Date: 2020-10-07 05:33
I wonder if someone more knowledgeable can help me with this question: does the altissimo range of the clarinet become progressively too flat going up the scale when using the standard harmonic fingerings?
I recently took up the B flat clarinet just for fun, to play Balkan and Klezmer music. I’m an experienced amateur double reed player, but I don’t know much about the clarinet. I’m playing an Albert system F. Barbier instrument from the 1920s with a cylindrical approx. 14.6 mm bore. It was recently overhauled by a skilled technician.
Here’s what happens: I roll my top finger down while playing clarion forked F, also adding right hand G#, and the harmonic, meaning altissimo D, pops out in tune. Doing the same with clarion F sharp, the altissimo E flat also comes out OK, just a little flat (so playing it 236G# actually works better than 234G#). Then I do the above while playing clarion G, and the E comes out nearly a quarter step flat according to my tuner.
I think I have a decent embouchure (I should mention that I play double lip, but all of the above also happens when I use single lip). Putting a little more reed in the mouth, pointing the chin and raising the tongue to say ee makes the altissimo E speak fine, but always very flat. The only way I can get it up to pitch is to bite.
An alternate fingering given for altissimo E at the woodwind.org fingering chart site does work well: while covering the left thumb hole, open the throat A key and the right hand “trill” key.
I can also get a good E if I finger altissimo F and relax my embouchure a little. As for getting a good altissimo F, I’m still working on that!
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The Clarinet BBoard
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