Every month? What should the black mold look like? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Is Your Reed Damaged? Specially designed for the advanced clarinetist, this reed is recommended for long facing mouthpieces such as the 5RVLyre and B Learn More While cracked reeds definitely need to be replaced, not every chipped reed needs to be tossed right away.
Are You Noticing Mold? Designed to resist moisture and climate changes, Plasticover is ideal for use in outdoor ensembles such as marching band, and for doublers who need to make quick changes between instruments.
Was this article helpful? Read This First! People who participate in marching or pep bands will need pads far more often than those who play only in concert bands or orchestras. Springs can become weak and either not work correctly or simply break. Keys need adjustment from time to time, too, and not just when they become bent. As before, those who play more will need adjustments more often than those who play less.
When it comes to keys, too, some players with acidic skin can eat the silver plating off of the keys. In these cases, the keys must be buffed and covered with a thin layer of clear lacquer to protect them. The dull mottling is just unsightly.
Sometimes, screws and posts can become marred with gunk. Removing the screws and posts one at a time and cleaning them will restore good key function. To help with smooth key action, oil the screws and posts with a light coating of sewing machine oil. It is these rings that keep the clarinet from splitting when assembled. A loose tenon ring requires immediate attention so that the clarinet is not damaged, perhaps even beyond repair, inadvertently.
Clarinets of artificial material need all the same repairs and maintenance as their wooden counterparts except for the bore. Cracks in these clarinets can be fixed in a pinch with superglue. Of course, such jury rigging should only ever be temporary, and the broken joint should be replaced as soon as possible.
There are other clarinets than the Bb clarinet: Eb clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, alto clarinet, contra-alto clarinet, and A clarinet. The general repair guidelines for these instruments are roughly the same, but each presents a different challenge to the repair person. The Eb clarinet is half the size of the Bb clarinet, and the work on the keys is just that much more demanding than on other instruments. Also, even wooden Eb clarinets have no upper and lower joints, so cracks can be more devastating.
Bass clarinets and contrabass clarinets have much larger pads and much longer keys than other instruments. They are prone to becoming out-of-adjustment quite easily and require rigorous attention. Also, contrabass clarinets are often still fashioned from metal. Despite their size, therefore, they must be treated delicately.
Players can then do simple things themselves, such as oiling the keys or using spring hooks to put popped springs back into place. Skip to content. Written by: Eddie. Each of these might require repair from time to time, but the two joints have the most problems.
People rarely make a decision to quit, right? They just sort of stop practicing and the clarinet sits there in whatever condition it was in the last time it got played. That means one thing we can do to protect the instrument is put it away every day as carefully as if it's the last day anyone will play it for the next fifty years. You never know. In March, I fell on concrete and sprained my right wrist so badly that it was close to three months before I could play any musical instrument except piano for the left hand alone.
Okay, I guess it's time to quit calling that a sprain, since it healed somewhat crooked. I've still got a slightly abnormal "buzzing" sensation in my middle and fourth right fingers. If that injury had been even slightly worse, my own clarinets might have ended up in storage for decades. Putting a clarinet away wet leads to a mess, especially if, later, the heirs ignorantly store the instrument away in a damp basement as the case slowly deteriorates. That treatment can distort the wood and ruin the best clarinet in the world, even if the instrument has hardly been played.
Accidental damage from dropping a clarinet or trying to bend keys that were manufactured by casting instead of forging goes near the top of the list, too. Sometimes, when I open a case and find a wrecked pro-quality clarinet and a beginner book or other artifacts of childhood, I see the sad consequences of giving a fine clarinet to a child who's too young to appreciate it or care for it.
While we're happily obsessing over the details and I do that as much as the next person , we need to back off and look at the larger picture, too. Author: Chelle Date: My youngest clarinet is my bass and it's Author: Claire Annette Date: Wow. What a timely topic. I've been playing my Buffet R13 since it was new in I've been toying with the idea of getting a new horn but may have it overhauled first to see if that helps.
I love the sound it produces and it's as comfortable to play as your favorite old slippers are to wear. It's showing some difficulties in some areas though and my changes in mouthpiece, ligature, and reeds have made this more apparent to me. Lots of good advice on here. Author: graham Date: Does this mean that the barrell was "blown out" but the rest of the clarinet was not? Or was your relationship with the barrell "blown out"?
Did you try the old barrell on the s Buffet and if so, how did it sound? Could be but some barrels are never good in the first place and you don't realize it until you compare with a different one. The same RC I mentioned above felt a bit too resistant especially when you tried to play a bit louder. It was practically preventing you from doing that.
Then I tried it with several different barrels and with none of the others there was a problem. The original barrel, which is only about five years old, is just very bad.
The owner never realized it because she has never tried a different barrel before. A clarinet that is used alot of course may simply wear out like a car. As to blow out it should certainly not occur if the instrument is not used a pile of the time like a symphonic player.. As to blow out I think the idea is great but too nebulous a concept.
John deLancie used a really old oboe for years and sounded great.. He also took great care of his oboes though. It is great to hear so much experiences in such a short time. Here are my summery: 1 Blow-out is a "individual" case instead of a general phenomenon.
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Newer Topic Older Topic. How long can a clarinet last? Author: LKKlarinet Date: Harold Wright said that for professional players, a clarinet can only last for about 10 years? I would like to hear some comments about this statement. Also, how to make a clarinet "live" longer. Reply To Message.
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