 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kehammel
Date: 2021-01-07 21:41
On many Alberts with two rings on the top joint, there is an open key between the rings that brings up the pitch of the throat F sharp. I gather the purpose of the rings and attached vent is to allow this note to be played with thumb only, which is easier than the thumb + side F key fingering that works best on Alberts with no top joint rings. The rings close this vent key for most other notes, but the vent stays open for the other throat tones G through B flat.
What I'm wondering about is an alternate arrangement I've seen pictures of, in which the vent is above the top ring, and is covered with a small plate that is attached to this ring. It looks like the rings close this vent as usual but operating the throat A key also closes it. I guess this is supposed to keep the throat A from being sharp? But is the open G then in tune with this vent moved higher up the joint as it is?
On my Albert, which has the vent between the top joint rings, I don't notice much difference in the pitch correctness of throat G vs throat A. Was moving the vent up and having the A key close it regarded as an improvement?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-01-07 22:46
If the open G is sharp after you've added the vent, then you can always fill in the thumb hole to flatten it or fit a metal or plastic thumb tube that protrudes into the bore (and flush with the outer diameter of the joint) to both double to flatten the open G and also help to keep condensation running out from the thumb hole.
German and Oehler systems have the throat A key close the F# vent, either having the throat A touchpiece close down directly on the vent pad cup if it's soldered to the top side of the LH1 ring, or have a bar soldered to the top side that runs under the throat A touch if the vent is on the lower side of the LH1 ring.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kehammel
Date: 2021-01-07 23:31
Attachment: Drouelle_Albert.jpg (1864k)
Interesting to hear about this feature on German system clarinets. Yet the ones I've been looking at are French. For example, I've been mulling over buying the one in the attached photo, which has the vent placed so that the A key closes it.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-01-08 00:30
Thank you guys for pointing out this "A key" conection. I played modern Oehler system clarinets exclusively for 13 years, but not for many years now and have since forgetten (or never noticed?) this connection.
Interesting.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: kehammel
Date: 2021-01-08 01:02
I'm glad we brought it to your attention, Paul, but I wish I actually knew what I was talking about! Maybe Chris can clarify the situation?
Some Alberts are stuffy and flat on the throat A. With them, it helps to open the G# key at the same time to bring the A up (I hear Boehms work this way, but I've never played one). And now there's what appears to be the opposite, namely closing a vent to keep the A from being sharp.
So I still have the same question- is the arrangement in which the A key closes the F# vent any better than not doing this?
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Author: donald
Date: 2021-01-09 04:28
Closing the vent in conjunction with the A key pretty much works the same way as resonance fingerings - lowering pitch, increasing resonance and balancing the response (C, Bb and A across the break now match better). Oskar was a genius!
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2021-01-09 18:46
Having the throat A key close the F# vent will give the same venting as a simple/Albert system clarinet made without the top joint ring keys/F# vent.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kehammel
Date: 2021-01-12 08:50
That is strange, Chris, what you observed about the separate pillars for the LH3 Eb/Bb key. Beats me. Isn't it so that sometimes the rings are hinged on the opposite side from the LH3 Eb/Bb key, the latter then having its own separate pillars? So maybe this was simply a mix and match situation, where they used whatever keywork they had on hand?
On the subject of the keywork, does it remind you of any particular maker? There are almost no references I can find to clarinets maked "Drouelle, Paris" so I wonder if it's someone's stencil. And most French Alberts from that time that I have seen pictures of do not have the throat A key closing the F# vent in "German" fashion.
Anyway, I bought it, and it should arrive in a couple of weeks.
Ken
Post Edited (2021-01-12 08:50)
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