 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Claribob
Date: 2024-03-09 02:20
I have just acquired a beautiful condition Selmer clarinet in C. However, out of the box, it played chalumeau notes beautifully but a twelfth too high in clarion. After a bit of practice and embouchure adjustment I can get the lower notes to sound but it is not consistent and keeps going back to clarion. I am playing using my regular B flat mouthpiece to which I'm very accustomed . I've encountered many different types of squeaks and squarks over the years but nothing like this. Is there likely to be an adjustment I need to make to the instrument?
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2024-03-09 02:34
Maybe something wring with the register key? I found this to happen occasionally when condensation may play a part. Usually blowing on the register & throat tone keys solves it. If it persists take it to a repairman. Bb mouthpieces are used with C clarinets, thus the tiny barrel I guess.
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Author: m1964
Date: 2024-03-09 02:48
Have you checked it for leaks? Proper keys operation?
If you do not experience the same problems playing another clarinet, I'd think this instrument most likely is the problem, not you.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2024-03-09 10:18
Definitely a leak in the upper joint. Take it to a repair tech for evaluation.
-JDbassplayer
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Author: donald
Date: 2024-03-09 16:18
A leak, MIGHT be something simple- check action on all keys (do they open/close smoothly- sometimes a FLAT SPRING is the culprit, it can be digging into the body and preventing the pad from fully closing).
Check that the adjustment screw on the throat A key has a small amount of "leeway" (ie the A key moves for a hairs breadth before it moves the G# key). If that screw is pushing the G# key open slightly it will make the clarinet play exactly as you describe.
Water in the toneholes usually makes a gurgle (rather than making the note go to the upper register) so I wouldn't worry too much about that unless you're hearing lots of gurgles. You probably would have mentioned that if it were the case.
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Author: Claribob
Date: 2024-03-09 16:45
Thanks so much everyone for your advice. @Paul Aviles, you appear to have hit the nail on the head. If I get my bored, non-musical other half to press the pad on the top side key down as I play, everything sounds correctly.
@donald - I'm off to scrutinize the spring on this key. The pads are all brand new - I don't know if this might suggest an error in placement?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2024-03-09 18:33
>> I'm off to scrutinize the spring on this key. The pads are all brand new - I don't know if this might suggest an error in placement? <<
Unless the spring is extremely weak, flimsy, broken, cracked, etc. (which is entirely possible) then it shouldn't leak because of the spring. Does it feel significantly weaker than other side key springs?
Could be a bent key, torn pad, leaking pad for some other reason (e.g. play in the hinge, which is common for this key with its very long lever), possibly it was installed poorly in the first place.
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Author: donald
Date: 2024-03-10 00:28
Hi Clarnibass, you are usually correct about these things- but here you are only correct most of the time. A flat spring CAN cause a key to stay open (despite being "stong enough") IF the end of the spring finds a groove in the wood/plastic, or if it has a build up of rust/gunk etc. This is a rare event and can also be intermittent, but DOES happen.
[I have posted about a persistent case of this happening to my buffet festival with the A key, but I've found similar problems on student clarinets. Admittedly this is rare- probably only 2 or 3 times in 20 years of teaching, but still "an actual thing" that can happen]
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2024-03-10 08:34
That's true. To clarify, what I meant was that, unless the spring is definitely too weak, making it stronger shouldn't be needed to make the pad seal. It's hard (if not impossible) to describe how weak/strong it should be. Making the spring stronger is not a good repair for a spring that catches in a worn groove.
It's one of the first things I check for the throat A key. I forgot about it because I've only seen this happen on the throat A key. It's definitely a possibility for any of the keys operated by a flat spring (and in some case a somewhat similar issue with needle springs). I would check for it with any of those keys if there was a problem, but for non-A keys I guess it's just extremely rare.
For "statistical" interest, when you say you've seen it two or three times in 20 years, do you mean for a side key specifically, or were those cases also on the throat A key?
In about 20+ years of repairing clarinets, I've seen it about 20-30 times with the A key, and zero times with side trill keys.
Post Edited (2024-03-10 10:05)
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Author: m1964
Date: 2024-03-10 21:44
On an older clarinet, there is a good chance that one of the side thrill keys is wobbly and does not seal well- new pads do not fix this problem until the key is swedged.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-03-11 01:06
Sounds like whoever 'overhauled' it didn't do a good job if it's full of leaks. Just because something was sold as 'recently overhauled' doesn't always mean whoever did it did a good job as there are a lot of kitchen table 'repairers' and some so-called pros out there who just slap in a new set of pads without seating them, don't address chipped toneholes and use crap quality natural cork everywhere and the instrument still leaks like a sieve.
Take it to a competent and reputable repairer who knows their onions and see what they think of it. And as it's a Selmer, don't skimp on having it repaired properly even if that means a full overhaul done properly and addressing all the problems the last backstreet abortionist completely overlooked.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: moma4faith
Date: 2024-03-13 03:54
My vote would also go with those who say a leak in the upper joint. I had the exact same problem with an instrument in the chalumeau register. Once the instrument had been played a while, it would chirp up on all those low notes. After some investigation, I found that there was a surface check (that didn't crack all the way through to the bore) that would open up as the clarinet warmed up. It went through the top trill tone hole and leaked when it was open. Then, after letting it cool down, the crack/check would close up to where I really couldn't see it at all.
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