Clarinet help! Please?!
Question: Clarinet help! Please!?
Alright, so I own my own clarinet, so I don't have to borrow one from school!. I've had it since about 6th grade (I'm in 9th now), and Its worked great!. It's a little bit harder to get sound out of then some clarinets, so I have to blow harder!.
About two or three weeks ago, I noticed that one of the corks fell off, so my parents and I took it in!. They repaired all of the corks, and did a whole bunch of other stuff too!. When I got it back it sounded great!.
A week after I got it back, we started learning our drill for our homecoming game in band (we're marching in the parade, and we're also playing during halftime)!. My clarinet has worked fine, up until now!.
All this week, it's played fine, until we practice going off of the field and waiting for the drummers to finish up their drumline thing!. Its actually kinda long, but it might just seem like that since we have to wait for them to finish!. When they do, we just start all over again, and we don't start playing for another 5 minutes!.
When we do start playing, my middle register's c, d, e, and f don't work!. Everything below and above works!. It just stops playing them!.
So today, I decided I should practice, and maybe see if I could find a way to stop this!. When I tried playing it, those notes wouldn't work AT ALL!.
The thing is, though, is that our homecoming is a week from Saturday, so I'm not sure if it will be ready in time!. I remember it only took until, like, Wednesday for them to fix it the last time, and we brought it in Sunday, but we couldn't get it until Saturday!. I also didn't like the clarinet they loaned me, so really I would love to play my own clarinet at the game!. Any suggestions!?Www@Enter-QA@Com
About two or three weeks ago, I noticed that one of the corks fell off, so my parents and I took it in!. They repaired all of the corks, and did a whole bunch of other stuff too!. When I got it back it sounded great!.
A week after I got it back, we started learning our drill for our homecoming game in band (we're marching in the parade, and we're also playing during halftime)!. My clarinet has worked fine, up until now!.
All this week, it's played fine, until we practice going off of the field and waiting for the drummers to finish up their drumline thing!. Its actually kinda long, but it might just seem like that since we have to wait for them to finish!. When they do, we just start all over again, and we don't start playing for another 5 minutes!.
When we do start playing, my middle register's c, d, e, and f don't work!. Everything below and above works!. It just stops playing them!.
So today, I decided I should practice, and maybe see if I could find a way to stop this!. When I tried playing it, those notes wouldn't work AT ALL!.
The thing is, though, is that our homecoming is a week from Saturday, so I'm not sure if it will be ready in time!. I remember it only took until, like, Wednesday for them to fix it the last time, and we brought it in Sunday, but we couldn't get it until Saturday!. I also didn't like the clarinet they loaned me, so really I would love to play my own clarinet at the game!. Any suggestions!?Www@Enter-QA@Com
Answers:
All I can think is that you are missing a pad!.!.!. the one connected to your first finger key on your right hand!. The problem with this scenario is that it wouldn't play your low Bb, A, G, F, or E either!.
Since you say that it is playing everything above and below, it could be a spring issue (though I doubt that too, since playing any of those notes pushes down all the rings)!.
My best bet is that you got a hairline crack in the lower joint!. I know it sounds weird!.!.!. like it should effect the lower register too!.!.!. but this actually happened to me in my sophomore year of high school!. It wouldn't play the middle range, but would play the low register, for some reason!.
I know you don't want to hear this, but take it into the shop!. It sounds like this is your first clarinet, and is likely a plastic student model!. These are made for hard wear and tear (especially marching band), but they will, and do, break eventually- and in marching band, being exposed to the elements increases the chance of it cracking or being damaged in some way!.
Student model clarinets are often not worth having a crack fixed, as it may cost more than the clarinet is worth!. Sometimes, the crack can be fixed (by a trained tech) by adding a kind of polymer to the crack and sealing it, and sometimes it actually needs to be drilled, pinned, sealed, and refinished!.!.!. the cost is anywhere from $50 to $500!. also, I should note that even when a crack is fixed, it may never blow the same again, not matter how good the repair job was!.
Anyways, take it to the shop and let them asses it!.!.!. it may not be cracked, but again, I can't think of what it would be if it can still play the low register!.
Good luck! :)Www@Enter-QA@Com
Since you say that it is playing everything above and below, it could be a spring issue (though I doubt that too, since playing any of those notes pushes down all the rings)!.
My best bet is that you got a hairline crack in the lower joint!. I know it sounds weird!.!.!. like it should effect the lower register too!.!.!. but this actually happened to me in my sophomore year of high school!. It wouldn't play the middle range, but would play the low register, for some reason!.
I know you don't want to hear this, but take it into the shop!. It sounds like this is your first clarinet, and is likely a plastic student model!. These are made for hard wear and tear (especially marching band), but they will, and do, break eventually- and in marching band, being exposed to the elements increases the chance of it cracking or being damaged in some way!.
Student model clarinets are often not worth having a crack fixed, as it may cost more than the clarinet is worth!. Sometimes, the crack can be fixed (by a trained tech) by adding a kind of polymer to the crack and sealing it, and sometimes it actually needs to be drilled, pinned, sealed, and refinished!.!.!. the cost is anywhere from $50 to $500!. also, I should note that even when a crack is fixed, it may never blow the same again, not matter how good the repair job was!.
Anyways, take it to the shop and let them asses it!.!.!. it may not be cracked, but again, I can't think of what it would be if it can still play the low register!.
Good luck! :)Www@Enter-QA@Com