The Clarinet Bb/register key
Richard Bush
between what would be needed for an acoustically correct throat tone Bb
and what it would need to be to work best as a register vent. A correct
size and placement for Bb is that which is found on the clarinet as the
side or trill Bb key, the second from top jumper key. (Notice how much
lower and how much larger this tone hole is than the Bb/register vent.)
What many don't realize about the Bb/register key is the critical
importance of having this key open just the right amount of distance
from the vent tube. At best, both ends of the second register go sharp.
If this key opens too much, these anomalies are further exaggerated. The
third register is also adversely effected. In addition to causing tuning
problems, a register vent that opens too far will cause the second and
third registers to speak or respond in a sluggish way.
Look at how far your register key opens. If the pad opens more than the
thickness of a dime, it is opening too far. Because measuring the
distance of travel at the pad end is difficult with the crease in the
pad or cork pad, I measure at the opposite end of the key, just above
the thumb ring where the cork under the key hits onto the body. I slide
feeler gauges between cork and body in incremental thickness' until they
fill the space and eliminate all key movement.
A SIDE NOTE. This space or travel at the spatula end does not represent
the actual pad opening or travel because the fulcrum (hinging point) is
not exactly in the middle of the total key length. The key is longer
above the posts than below. The pad end, therefore, swings to a more
open position than the touch end drops when the key is opened. That's
okay and doesn't matter. What does matter is to have a way of accurately
measuring and determining a correct opening.
An appropriate opening for this vent (when measuring the space at the
bottom of the key) should be between .026" and .029". The exact
determination is made by play testing the instrument. Of course, use a
tuner as part of the process.
The objective is to get the third space C and third line B as low and as
close to the correct pitch as possible without causing them to become
stuffy and unclear in their tone quality. A compromise between tuning
and tone quality might be needed.
If you have successfully dialed in this key opening, Bb will still be as
good but no worse than it was before. B natural and C will be lower and
closer to correct. High B and C will not be as sharp as they were
before. The second register will speak quicker when touching open the
register key and over blowing a twelfth.
If you don't feel comfortable about bending keys, you might experiment
and do some temporary changes by adding some black electrical tape on
the body in layers until you start to experience some improvement. You
can then take the clarinet to a repairman and show him how much you want
the key to open and have him do it.
Your responses to this posting are welcome and sought.
Thomas Bergel
>
> What many don't realize about the Bb/register key is the critical
> importance of having this key open just the right amount of distance
> from the vent tube.
>
Given the availability of the side key for Bb, why should not the
diameter of the speaker hole be reduced so that the pad can be raised so
far that its shading influence
becomes negligible ? (This would be somewhat similar to the reduction of
the diameter of the G# hole to facilitate high E on the flute -- often
done by means of an insert,
and a very worthwhile improvement to the Boehm flute, but apparently not
done until quite recently.)
Thomas Bergel
(amateur recorder player, but full of theories on _all_ woodwinds)
Dee D. Hays
>Richard Bush wrote:
>Given the availability of the side key for Bb, why should not the
>diameter of the speaker hole be reduced so that the pad can be raised so
>far that its shading influence
>becomes negligible ? (This would be somewhat similar to the reduction of
>the diameter of the G# hole to facilitate high E on the flute -- often
>done by means of an insert,
>and a very worthwhile improvement to the Boehm flute, but apparently not
>done until quite recently.)
>
>Thomas Bergel
>(amateur recorder player, but full of theories on _all_ woodwinds)
Could very well through the tuning relationship off between the low and
middle registers. The clarinet really is quite different in these
characteristics than other instruments.
Dee Hays
Canton, SD
Derek Brown
<dee...@dtgnet.com> writes
>Thomas Bergel wrote in message <36530E79...@worldnet.att.net>...
>>Richard Bush wrote:
>>Given the availability of the side key for Bb, why should not the
>>diameter of the speaker hole be reduced so that the pad can be raised so
>>far that its shading influence
>>becomes negligible ?
I believe there are two reasons. One is that the side Bb, though a
superior note the throat Bb, is not that useful for passages in which
the next note requires all right hand fingers on, the right hand being
required for the side Bb. The second is that the speaker hole has to be
in sufficiently good location to overblow all notes in the clarinet
register, and a small diameter hole would act too specifically for a
given note (the one twice its distance from the mouthpiece, if my
acoustics are correct).
An ideal mechanism would have a Bb tone hole in a position equivalent to
that of the side key, and many register keys, each of small diameter and
each operated in conjunction with, and dedicated exlusively to, its main
tone hole in the middle register. However, such a mechanism would be
heavy and so complex as to be unreliable, as far as any of my design
ideas have so far gone!
--
Derek Brown
Email de...@brwn.demon.co.uk
Jason Haggenjos
Derek Brown wrote in message ...
>
>An ideal mechanism would have a Bb tone hole in a position equivalent to
>that of the side key, and many register keys, each of small diameter and
>each operated in conjunction with, and dedicated exlusively to, its main
>tone hole in the middle register. However, such a mechanism would be
>heavy and so complex as to be unreliable, as far as any of my design
>ideas have so far gone!
>
ACK, it sounds like you want us to play bassoon! Hehe, I struggled through
it in woodwind tech. and while it was fun to putt around on and i love the
sound of it played well I'd rather stick to something where my thumbs don't
have to go nuts to play.
Jason
Dr. Bones
bassoonists!
Jason Haggenjos wrote in message <736b74$64u$1...@flotsam.uits.indiana.edu>...
D.B.
Check it out at
http://members.aol.com/cwindz/galper.html I am the dealer of the
mechanism.
--
David Blumberg
ree...@erols.com
Derek Brown wrote in message ...
>In article <732vl4$19c$1...@news.corpcomm.net>, Dee D. Hays
><dee...@dtgnet.com> writes
>>Thomas Bergel wrote in message <36530E79...@worldnet.att.net>...
>>>Richard Bush wrote:
>>>Given the availability of the side key for Bb, why should not the
>>>diameter of the speaker hole be reduced so that the pad can be raised so
>>>far that its shading influence
>>>becomes negligible ?
>
>I believe there are two reasons. One is that the side Bb, though a
>superior note the throat Bb, is not that useful for passages in which
>the next note requires all right hand fingers on, the right hand being
>required for the side Bb. The second is that the speaker hole has to be
>in sufficiently good location to overblow all notes in the clarinet
>register, and a small diameter hole would act too specifically for a
>given note (the one twice its distance from the mouthpiece, if my
>acoustics are correct).
>
>An ideal mechanism would have a Bb tone hole in a position equivalent to
>that of the side key, and many register keys, each of small diameter and
>each operated in conjunction with, and dedicated exlusively to, its main
>tone hole in the middle register. However, such a mechanism would be
>heavy and so complex as to be unreliable, as far as any of my design
>ideas have so far gone!
>
D.B.
register tube-key info
http://members.aol.com/cwindz/galper.html
I am the U.S. dealer for the Key invented by the retired Principal Clarinet
(for 30 years) of the Toronto Symphony.
David Blumberg
ree...@erols.com
Richard Bush wrote in message <36505648...@uswest.net>...
>The Bb/register key is a rather radical compromise in size and placement
>between what would be needed for an acoustically correct throat tone Bb
>and what it would need to be to work best as a register vent. A correct
>size and placement for Bb is that which is found on the clarinet as the
>side or trill Bb key, the second from top jumper key. (Notice how much
>lower and how much larger this tone hole is than the Bb/register vent.)
>
>What many don't realize about the Bb/register key is the critical
>importance of having this key open just the right amount of distance