Sax-Repair.Pdf

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Sax-Repair.Pdf CHAPTER 1 GENERAL SETUP OF THE AVERAGE SHOP When we speak of the necessary tools in the 21. Scrapers (hook and straight) average one man shop, we must bear in mind 22. Mouthpiece puller that the small hand tools, which comprise the 23. Small dent rods tool box layout of the average repairman can not be considered as part of the average shop Saxophone and Clarinet setup. 1. Screw drivers (large, medium and small) It is for the aforementioned reason that we 2. Spring punches must list the shop or stationary tools and the 3. Midget and regular hacksaw small tools in separate categories. 4. Screw extractor 5. Pad slick (small and large) Shop Tools 6. Crack slick Lathe-Preferably of the Atlas or Delta Variety 7. Oil Stone Bench motor (1, 2, or 3) 1/4 HP 175 0RPM app. 8. Spring hook Work bench 34” high, 3’ wide, 5’ long 9. Hammer Polishing lathe 10. Rawhide mallet Drill Press (Optional) 11. Pin vise Assorted Dent Rods 12. Bench vise (41/2” jaws, swivel base) Dent Plug Sets 13. Wood mandrels Trombone Mandrels 14. Post drilling jig Bell Mandrels (Trumpet and Trombone) 15. Screw blocks Bell Iron or Horn Stake 16. Leak light Vise (4” or 41/2” swivel base) 17. Calipers Compressor (Size depends on amount of pres- 18. Micrometer sure needed) 19. Hinge cutters Torch (natural or manufactured gas) 20. Pivot reamers 21. Pivot counterbores IMPORTANT TOOLS FOR 22. Pad seat reamers INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENTS 23. Socket reamers IN REPAIR SHOPS 24. Ring machine Brass Work 25. Tenon repair kit 1. Set of tapered mandrels 26. Key swedging pliers 2. Dent hammers 27. Bunsen Burner 3. Straight mandrels 28. Soldering jig 4. Straight burnishers 29. Sax dent rods 5. Curved burnishers 30. Pearl sets 6. Bell Mandrels 31. Post drills and tap 7. Dent plugs 8. Dent master Brass Repair Materials 9. Hi-Heat torch 1. Sheet brass (.010, .015, .020) 10. Lathe 2. Assorted brass instrument parts 11 Bench motors (2) 3. Valve corks 12. Trombone slide mandrels 4. Waterkey corks 13. Assorted files 5. Valve felts 14. Assorted pliers 6. Valve springs, assorted 15. Tin snips 7. Waterkey springs 16. Bell iron 8. Solder (50-50) 17. Rod Holder (v-block) 9. Silver solder 18. Draw Plate 10. Soldering acid and paste 19. Set of carbon drills 11. Borax 20. Set of taps and dies 12. Buffs 13. Polish instrument is held on his left side out of his way. 14 Brass rod (1/2” and 1/4” and 1/2” round When assembling a saxophone, he can easily 15 Assorted brass tubing face his work and still be next to his parts and 16. Pearls tools, assuming that the mechanic is using a 17. JUNK PILE (it can’t be too big) saxophone mandrel to hold his work in the vise. This is a wise move since it gives the mechan- Taps and Dies ic the free use of both hands while the saxo- 0x80. 1x72, 1x64, 2x64, 2x56, 3x56. phone is held securely in place, thereby acting 3x48. 4x40. 4x48, 5x40, 6x40. 6x32, as a third hand. 8x40, 8x32, 10x32, 10x24, 12x28~, A bench motor should be placed on the 12x24, l/4”x20. right side of the bench, with an adapter for a grind wheel, drill chuck or a buffing wheel. This Reed and Woodwind enables the mechanic to do most of his work Repair Materials without having to leave his bench. 1. Sheet cork and bottle cork 1/64, 1/32, The gas line should come from the top of 1/16, 1/8, 3/32. the bench at the center. The hose should be at 2. Sax pads least 8’ to 10’ long to enable him to get around 3. Clarinet pads (brown and bladder) a saxophone or a trumpet, while it is held in 4. Flute and piccolo pads place in the vise. 5. Flat felts The lathe should be placed to the left rear 6. Flake shellac of the work-bench so that the right side of the 7. Gold wax for clarinets lathe is at least 3’ from the vise at any point. 8. Flush bands This enables the mechanic to use the flat bed 9. Springs (needle and flat) of the lathe for alignment of trombone slides so 10. Post bushings and shims that they can be soldered together while lying 11. Kerosene, alcohol and thinner on the lathe bed extended from the end. 12. Norton Springs (Buescher) In this manner we can utilize the flat bed 13. Tone boosters of the lathe, thereby eliminating the Brown and 14. Pivot screws and rods Sharpe level, which is used to level trombone 15. Neck corks slides for mounting. In view of the fact that the slides would be extended from the bed of the Shop Layout lathe, no harm could come to the lathe. The shop should be set up so that the mechanic has the least trouble getting to the different tools thereby cutting down the amount of lost motion in the average work day. The vise is placed on the left side of the bench since it is easiest for the mechanic to work directly in front of his bench while an Shop layout with proper lighting. Small cabinets for materials such as clarinet, flute and piccolo pads can be placed on the bench at the furthest point from the mechanic. This is so placed since they are not in constant use. The same goes for the many small parts the average shop must have, such as pivot Reed instrument repair bench layout. screw springs, etc. Saxophone pad cabinets are kept at the ment available. It is advisable to consult your opposite end of the room to keep them clean. local equipment supplier or write the American The best effect in lighting is achieved by the Repair Service of Newark, N.J. for information use of a florescent fixture with two 40 Watt for your particular needs. tubes, placed approximately 8’ above the floor The lacquering booth should be stone and over the edge of the bench, running parallel to steel construction with its doors on springs that the bench. The same type lighting is recom- open outwards. The blower for the lacquering mended for the lathe; however, it is advisable booth should and must meet the underwriter’s to have a gooseneck light for fine work. The compressor should be placed under the bench so that the air pressure line can easily be brought to the top of the bench alongside the gas line so that the gas and air torch hoses can be secured together for easier handling. If the gas line has a double outlet the hose can remain permanently attached since the second gas outlet will take care of the Bunsen burner line. Best results are obtained when the bench is placed in front of a window. Polishing, lacquering and plating equipment should be in a different room that is well venti- lated because of the fumes from the plating Lacquering booth with ventilating fan. and polishing solutions. approval for insurance purposes. Polishing, Plating and Lacquering Shop The blower for the polishing lathe will depend Setup upon the size of the polishing lathe. The hopper for the blower should be placed The polishing lathe should be set at the fur- in the right hand corner of the polishing room. thest end of the shop near windows if possible. The bulbs used for lighting in the lacquer booth A polishing lathe for silver and gold plated should be encased in explosion proof contain- scratch brushing can be placed in the same ers. end of the room. There are dual speed lathes It is further advisable to use blower fans over for this purpose. all solutions to dissipate the fumes outside the The tanks can be set up on the left side of building. the room so that the rinsing tubs are between If a baking oven is used with the lacquering the acid baths. (See diagram). equipment it should be placed near the lac- The strip tank must have a gas line for quering booth. heating purposes as well as the regular hot tank for lacquer removal. The rinsing tank should be a double drain off bath so that clean rinse water can constantly be applied. Degreasing machines must be kept by a win- dow for ventilation. The lacquering equipment should be in a completely separate room to bring to a mini- mum the possibility of dirt and FIRES. Plating equipment should be kept as close as possible to the rinsing tanks in the polishing room. It is advisable to use stainless steel for all rinsing tanks. There are many types of lacquering equip- CHAPTER 2 BRASS INSTRUMENT REPAIR Dent Removal With Dent Rods ond method is used in those cases where the dent was caused by a sharp object putting Due to the fact that the position of each somewhat of a cut or nick in the metal. By ham- dent in a musical instrument presents its own mering in a light fashion directly on the cut, we particular problem. We shall have to describe may possibly close this cut sufficiently well, so the removal of them in separate categories. as not to be visible. Bear in mind the fact that There are three procedures to be used in the such hammering is done directly over the dent removal of dents that can be reached with a rod which is inserted in the slide bow. When dent rod. These three procedures are known as such a cut is removed, we merely use the pre- inside burnishing, hammering and the rebound ceding method to put the slide bow back to its method.
Recommended publications
  • HOW to BUY a BASSOON by Wendal Jones
    HOW TO BUY A BASSOON By Wendal Jones Most people think the bassoon is the most unique wind instrument of all. Unmistakable in sound and appearance, it is more easily recognized than the other woodwinds. The flute, clarinet, oboe and saxophone families are comprised of several different sizes but each family generally has the same look, from small to large, yet none look remotely like the bassoon. A close relative of the bassoon, the contra-bassoon is twice as big, so it must be doubled up a couple of times so that the instrument may be held more easily. Although there are miniature bassoons that have gained some popularity in Europe, they are used mainly for teaching very young players who cannot manage to hold or finger a regular bassoon, let alone a contra-bassoon. There is no sizable repertoire for these small instruments and they are unknown in orchestras or bands. For the most part, the bassoon is an ensemble instrument with an occasional solo passage providing just the right touch (oftentimes humorous) to a composition. The bassoon is also known for its plaintive voice in the orchestra. Solo passages like those found in the slow movement of Tchaikovski's Fifth Symphony and several in Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov come to mind here. The bassoon is found in the symphony orchestra, concert bands, and in chamber music groups and there are some dazzling concerto soloists, too. The instrument is not generally found in jazz bands, although there have been some wonderful jazz bassoon soloists in the second half of the 20th century, notably Stuart McKay of Florida.
    [Show full text]
  • Harmonic Series for Clarinets by Allen Cole
    Harmonic Series for Clarinets by Allen Cole The primary notes of the clarinet go from low E to throat Bb. Each of these pitches has a particular number of vibrations per second, or frequency. By applying pressure to the reed, we can make it vibrate a various multiples of that frequency. These other, higher frequencies are called harmonics. When the fundamental frequency is doubled, the pitch rises one octave to its second harmonic. This is what happens when you press the octave key on a saxophone, oboe or bassoon. The clarinet's physical structure causes it not to sound octaves or other even-numbered harmonics, so its pitch rises in much longer, less even leaps. Because the clarinet does not overblow octaves and other even-numbered harmonics, its high note fingerings can seem confusing at first. Below are the fundamental notes from which the altissimo fingerings are derived. Practice moving between the different registers to help develop your embouchure & fingers. Chalemeau register - This is the bottom register, where the instrument's natural sound is heard. This pitch is called the fundamental. This register is named for the folk instrument that later became the clarinet. Clarion register - Press your left thumb on the register key and go up a 12th to the notes with the clear, trumpet-like sound that gave the clarinet its name. This is the third harmonic, or three times the frequency of the fundamental pitch. Altissimo register - Vent the "E" tone hole by sliding or removing your left index finger. For pitches "D" and above, put your right pinkie on the pinkie Eb key.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bass Clarinetist's Pedagogical Guide to Excerpts
    THE BASS CLARINETIST’S PEDAGOGICAL GUIDE TO EXCERPTS FROM THE WIND BAND LITERATURE Britni Cheyenne Bland, B.M., M.M Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2015 APPROVED: Kimberly Cole Luevano, Major Professor John C. Scott, Committee Member Debbie Rohwer, Committee Member John Holt, Chair of the Department of Instrumental Studies Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate Studies James Scott, Dean of the College of Music Costas Tsatsoulis, Interim Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Bland, Britni Cheyenne. The Bass Clarinetist’s Pedagogical Guide to Excerpts from the Wind Band Literature. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance) August 2015, 44 pp., 14 musical examples, 7 figures, 20 references. Student clarinet performers often encounter bass clarinet for the first time in a high school or university wind ensemble, so it is logical for clarinet pedagogues to encourage and assist their students in learning this wind band literature. In addition to becoming familiar with this oft performed repertoire, students will develop a set of specialized bass clarinet skills that one cannot learn on soprano clarinet. These skills include increased air capacity and support, timbre consistency in differing registers, intonation tendencies of the lower instrument, voicing flexibility, right hand thumb dexterity for keys that do not exist on soprano clarinet, technical facility for eleven pinky keys (as opposed to the seven pinky keys on a typical soprano clarinet0, and effective altissimo fingerings. The purpose, then, of this document is to provide a performance guide for select bass clarinet solo excerpts from the wind band literature and to provide supplemental exercises intended to help students acquire the specialized bass clarinet skill set they will need in order to perform the selected excerpts successfully.
    [Show full text]
  • The Earliest Music for Bass Clarinet Pdf
    THE EARLIEST BASS CLARINET MUSIC (1794) AND THE BASS CLARINETS BY HEINRICH AND AUGUST GRENSER Albert R. Rice C.I.R.C.B. - International Bass Clarinet Research Center THE EARLIEST BASS CLARINET MUSIC (1794) AND THE BASS CLARINETS BY HEINRICH AND AUGUST GRENSER by Albert R. Rice For many years the bass clarinets by Heinrich Grenser and August Grenser made in 1793 and 1795 have been known. What has been overlooked is Patrik Vretblad’s list of a concert including the bass clarinet performed in 1794 by the Swedish clarinetist Johann Ignaz Strenensky.1 This is important news since it is the earliest documented bass clarinet music. All other textbooks and studies concerning the bass clarinet fail to mention this music played in Sweden. Although it is not definitely known what type of bass clarinet was played, evidence suggests that it was a bassoon-shaped bass clarinet by Heinrich Grenser. This article discusses the Stockholm court’s early employment of full time clarinetists; its players and music, including the bass clarinet works; the bass clarinets by Heinrich and August Grenser; and conclusions. Stockholm Court Orchestra Stockholm’s theater court orchestra employed seven clarinetists during the eighteenth century, including the famous composer and clarinetist Bernhard Henrik Crusell: Christian Traugott Schlick 1779-1786 August Heinrich Davidssohn 1779-1799 Georg Christian Thielemann 1785-1812 Carl Sigimund Gelhaar 1785-1793 Johann Ignaz Stranensky 1789-18052 Bernhard Henrik Crusell 1793-1834 Johan Christian Schatt 1798-18183 In 1779, Schlick and Davidssohn appeared as extra players at the Stockholm theater in a concert of the music academy.
    [Show full text]
  • Stanley Hasty: His Life and Teaching Elizabeth Marie Gunlogson
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 Stanley Hasty: His Life and Teaching Elizabeth Marie Gunlogson Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC STANLEY HASTY: HIS LIFE AND TEACHING By ELIZABETH MARIE GUNLOGSON A treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2006 Copyright @ 2006 Elizabeth M. Gunlogson All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the Treatise of Elizabeth M. Gunlogson defended on November 10, 2006. ______________________ Frank Kowalsky Professor Directing Treatise ______________________ Seth Beckman Outside Committee Member ______________________ Patrick Meighan Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii To Stanley and June Hasty iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank Stanley and June Hasty for sharing their life story with me. Your laughter, hospitality and patience throughout this whole process was invaluable. To former Hasty students David Bellman, Larry Combs, Frank Kowalsky, Elsa Ludewig- Verdehr, Tom Martin and Maurita Murphy Mead, thank you for your support of this project and your willingness to graciously share your experiences with me. Through you, the Hasty legacy lives on. A special thanks to the following people who provided me with valuable information and technical support: David Coppen, Special Collections Librarian and Archivist, Sibley Music Library (Eastman School of Music); Elizabeth Schaff, Archivist, Peabody Institute/Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Nicole Cerrillos, Public Relations Manager, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Tom Akins, Archivist, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra; James Gholson, Professor of Clarinet, University of Memphis; Carl Fischer Music Publishing; and Annie Veblen-McCarty.
    [Show full text]
  • Basic Repair Procedures
    BAND INSTRUMENT REPAIR BASIC REPAIR PROCEDURES DAVID H. BAILEY 26 SEMINOLE DRIVE NASHUA NH 03063 603-883-2448 [email protected] www.davidbaileymusicstudio.com Copyright ©1995 by David H. Bailey, revised and edited 2010 Basic Repair Procedures David H. Bailey Basic Repair Procedures David H. Bailey REPAIR PROCEDURES This is not an all-inclusive manual for the repair of musical instruments. The purpose of this booklet is to give an idea of what is involved in repairing instruments, in order to judge if you wish to investigate further any of these procedures. If your curiosity is piqued by any of these, and you would like some guidance, please feel free to contact your local repair technician concerning instruction. At the very least this should give you a better idea of how to advise students who are in need of repair. PRACTICE THESE PROCEDURES ON JUNK INSTRUMENTS FIRST! This booklet covers the basic repairs that instrumental teachers and performers should know about in order to keep their instruments in the best playing condition, and to make any personal alterations they may feel are appropriate to get the maximum performance out of their instruments. Certain of the repairs such as the replacement of a tenon cork or a flute head-cork can often mean the difference between being able to play at a performance or not, and such seemingly minor things as key corks can spell disaster if they fall off. The thickness of the key corks can also affect the response and intonation of an instrument -- there are no 100% foolproof answers to such problems -- so the ability and confidence to alter or replace them can vastly improve a mediocre instrument.
    [Show full text]
  • 43995 Acoustic Magazine April 2009.Indd
    SAXOPHONE ACOUSTICS: INTRODUCING A COMPENDIUM OF IMPEDANCE AND SOUND SPECTRA Jer-Ming Chen, John Smith and Joe Wolfe, School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052 NSW [email protected] We introduce a web-based database that gives details of the acoustics of soprano and tenor saxophones for all standard fingerings and some others. It has impedance spectra measured at the mouthpiece and sound files for each standard fingering. We use these experimental impedance spectra to explain some features of saxophone acoustics, including the linear effects of the bell, mouthpiece, reed, register keys and tone holes. We also contrast measurements of flute, clarinet and saxophone, to give practical examples of the different behaviour of waveguides with open-open cylindrical, closed-open cylindrical and closed-open conical geometries respectively. INTRODUCTION instrument. For each note, there is at least one confi guration Saxophones are made in many sizes. All have bores that are of closed and open tone holes, called a fi ngering, and the largely conical, with a small, fl aring bell at the large end and impedance spectrum for each fi ngering is unique. Impedance a single reed mouthpiece, fi tted to the truncation, that replaces spectra for a small number of fi ngerings on the saxophone have the apex of the cone. The soprano (length 710 mm, including been reported previously [7, 8], but measurement technology the mouthpiece) and smaller saxophones are usually straight. has improved considerably since then [9, 10]. This paper reports Larger instruments (the tenor has a length of 1490 mm) are an online database comprising, for each standard fi ngering on usually bent to bring the keys more comfortably in the reach both a soprano and a tenor saxophone, an impedance spectrum, of the hands (Fig 1).
    [Show full text]
  • Measurement of Vocal-Tract Influence During Saxophone Performance
    Measurement of vocal-tract influence during saxophone performance ͒ Gary P. Scavone,a Antoine Lefebvre, and Andrey R. da Silva Computational Acoustic Modeling Laboratory, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology, Music Technology, Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada H3A 1E3 ͑Received 5 July 2007; revised 11 January 2008; accepted 13 January 2008͒ This paper presents experimental results that quantify the range of influence of vocal tract manipulations used in saxophone performance. The experiments utilized a measurement system that provides a relative comparison of the upstream windway and downstream air column impedances under normal playing conditions, allowing researchers and players to investigate the effect of vocal-tract manipulations in real time. Playing experiments explored vocal-tract influence over the full range of the saxophone, as well as when performing special effects such as pitch bending, multiphonics, and “bugling.” The results show that, under certain conditions, players can create an upstream windway resonance that is strong enough to override the downstream system in controlling reed vibrations. This can occur when the downstream air column provides only weak support of a given note or effect, especially for notes with fundamental frequencies an octave below the air column cutoff frequency and higher. Vocal-tract influence is clearly demonstrated when pitch bending notes high in the traditional range of the alto saxophone and when playing in the saxophone’s extended register. Subtle timbre variations via tongue position changes are possible for most notes in the saxophone’s traditional range and can affect spectral content from at least 800–2000 Hz.
    [Show full text]
  • Woodwind Playing Comp Guidelines
    Woodwind Comp Exam Guidelines Flute Exercises 1 & 2: Embouchure shifts – you must slur and shift your bottom lip forward so more lip covers the blow hole (move chin a bit if needed) to achieve the second and third octave notes. DO NOT blow harder for the high notes. Remember the poem for high “A” (thumb, middle – first, little). Exercise 3: Chromatic Scale – you may break the slur when a breath is needed. Do NOT use the thumb Bb key in a chromatic scale. Exercise 4: Remember to shift as you go up. The flute embouchure must remain supple and flexible to move forward for the high notes. The aperture becomes smaller, and the lower lip moves closer to the strike wall and covers more blow hole as you go higher. Exercise 5: The first measure uses the regular A# fingering (T 1 & 1, D#). Measures 2, 3, and 4 use the Bb thumb key and 1 for more efficient technique, especially in measure 4. You may move your thumb to the Bb lever between measures 1 and 2. Exercise 6: Trills – measure 3 is C# to D#; measure 5 is E to F#; measure 6 is F to F#; measure 10 is C# to D#; measure 12 is E to F; measure 13 is E to F#; measure 14 is F# to G#. See Prof. Rhodes if you need the trill fingerings again or if you need another copy of the comp sheet that includes the trill fingerings. Exercise 7: Read the rhythms correctly and execute the tonguing style indicated.
    [Show full text]
  • Estimation of Saxophone Alternate Fingerings' Configurations
    Estimation Of Saxophone Alternate Fingerings’ Configurations by Marjan Rouhipour B.Sc., Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education, 2009 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the School of Computing Science Faculty of Applied Sciences © Marjan Rouhipour 2015 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2015 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced without authorization under the conditions for ”Fair Dealing”. Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. APPROVAL Name: Marjan Rouhipour Degree: Master of Science Title: Estimation Of Saxophone Alternate Fingerings’ Configurations Examining Committee: Chair: Joseph Peters Professor Tamara Smyth Senior Supervisor Department of Music, University of California San Diego Associate Professor Ghassan Hamarneh Supervisor Computing Science, Simon Fraser University Professor Arthur Kirkpatrick Internal Examiner Computing Science, Simon Fraser University Associate Professor Date Defended: September 4, 2015 ii Abstract A method to estimate the saxophone fingerings’ configurations is presented. This is not solely a problem of pitch detection since a sounding pitch can be produced by multiple fingering configurations. The widely used spectral envelope technique in similar problem of speech analysis as a vocal tract impulse response is not sufficient to solve the problem be- cause a player can alter the envelope by controlling the reed vibration through embouchure and blowing pressure. Motivated by Saxophone playing technique, a theoretical model is proposed based on sub harmonics’ and main harmonics’ positions to identify fingerings by measuring the similarity of the input sound spectrum peaks’ positions and models.
    [Show full text]
  • Bass Clarinet 101: Tips for Improving Your Bass Clarinet Section a Conversation with Howard Klug, Michael Drapkin & Alcides Rodriguez
    Bass Clarinet 101: Tips for Improving your Bass Clarinet Section A Conversation with Howard Klug, Michael Drapkin & Alcides Rodriguez INSIGHTS asked: What is proper playing position” for students? Should you use a peg, neck strap, or both? Klug : Both. The peg supports the weight of the instrument (not the neck of the student) and the neck strap pulls the instrument gently into the mouth. The peg should allow the student to have an erect posture, sitting forward on the chair with the bass clarinet almost completely vertical. Drapkin : Use a peg and a neck strap. If you just use a neck strap (without the peg), the body gets severely weighted down and introduces a great deal of tension into the body which will degrade technical facility. Without it, the hands must be constantly “holding” the instrument in order to keep it from being pushed away. Using a neck strap and a peg locks the instrument into the body, resulting in a three point connection: vertically at the floor with the peg, front and back using the neck strap, and laterally at the mouth. Rodriguez : The peg is very important, especially if you play a low Eb bass clarinet, because it allows you to control and achieve the desired playing height. The longer peg on this model makes it a little wobbly and therefore more difficult to control. That is why a neck strap would be a great help. A neck strap is also necessary to prevent the instrument from falling forward and helps to eliminate tension from the hands. If you use a low C bass clarinet the peg might not be necessary, but placing the bell on the floor can be risky.
    [Show full text]
  • Single Reed Success
    Texas Bandmasters Association Convention/Clinic July 25-27, 2019 Single Reed Success CLINICIAN: Greg Countryman HENRY B. GONZALEZ CONVENTION CENTER SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Single Reed Success Presented by Greg Countryman Texas Bandmasters Association Convention July 27, 2019 I. SELECTING STUDENTS FOR CLARINET & SAXOPHONE A. Clarinet The student can form a flat chin like sucking a thick milkshake through a straw. The student is not severely double jointed. Testing finger coordination – touch the fingertips in both hands to the thumbs in a sequence and then reverse. The student needs to be “bright”, because in my opinion, clarinet is the most complicated of the basic woodwind instruments. B. Saxophone The student can form an “ooo” shape with face. Testing finger coordination – touch the fingertips in both hands to the thumbs in a sequence and then reverse. In my opinion, saxophone is the easiest woodwind instrument to learn to play. C. Testing tone production on clarinet/saxophone Clarinet – First produce a sound on the mouthpiece/barrel and then on the entire clarinet with you holding and fingering. Saxophone – First produce a sound on the mouthpiece/neck and then maybe on the entire saxophone with you holding the instrument. These suggestions may be useful if you need to limit the number of students on saxophone. o Use MH or strength 3-4 reed. o Raise the reed above the mouthpiece. o Open the octave key slightly while the student is trying to produce a sound. II. EQUIPMENT A. Clarinet Ridenour Lyrique 576 or Buffet E-11 Ridenour RE 5 clarinet mouthpiece with a medium hard LaVoz reed.
    [Show full text]