Is Your Clarinet OK? – Part One
by Robert Baca and Ken Cance

With ever decreasing budgets and the band director’s need to become more efficient, the “I don’t know how it happened” avoidable repair can add up to more than a bottle of Tylenol. With a little neglect, or using the wrong method of “band-aid” remedy, small repairs can eat away at the budget, and cause instruments to be missing from rehearsal. To provide some sound advice for students, I asked nationally recognized woodwind repair expert Ken Cance to identify the most common maintenance issues with clarinets.

Are the following experiences familiar?

“I get unwanted squeaks and squawks when I play.”

“The fingering is correct but the sound is still fuzzy,
or the instrument won’t play at all.”

“It works when I push really hard on the keys.”

“I can play the low notes when I ‘slap’ the keys down but
it does not respond with normal finger pressure.”

     Through the years I have observed the frustration of musicians plagued with trying to make music on an instrument that is mechanically deficient. As the instrument is played, changes in materials will cause the instrument to slowly go out of adjustment. Pads may compress or become hard, brittle or torn. Key corks and tenon corks can compress, wear, dry out or fall off completely. The key mechanism can become misaligned, noisy, or frozen due to a number of possible causes.
     Because changes to the function often are gradual, the experienced musician learns to compensate for the deficiencies of the instrument, and unknowingly expends more energy to make the instrument play. The beginning or young musician can often become so frustrated, believing that they are not capable of progressing on the instrument, that they will give up trying to learn.
     If the musical instrument does not function at its maximum potential, the musician playing will be unable to achieve their creative potential. Given proper care and monitoring, an instrument can serve a musician for many satisfying years.
     The following information is intended to help identify many of the causes of instrument malfunction. The purpose is to help identify, locate and understand the instrument and key mechanism, so that when problems do arise they will be noticed and can be addressed immediately. Although much of the discussion can be applied throughout the clarinet family, the focus will be on the soprano clarinet.

SOCKET RINGS

     Caution: If the socket rings are loose, DO NOT assemble the clarinet.
     The clarinet has two socket rings on the barrel joint, one on the lower joint and one on the bell. The socket ring is a metal band, which supports the socket of the female connection on the joints of the clarinet.

Photo 1

     If the socket ring is not secure, the pressure from the tenon during assembly could crack the socket wall. The socket joint wall is very thin and must withstand the pressure of the counterpart tenon when assembled. A socket ring is secured over the end of the socket in order to support the internal pressure exerted by the tenon cork, as well as the weight of the two joints.
     Socket rings usually become loose due to drying of the wood. This is a common occurrence in cold winter climates when the air is dry. When this happens, the wood shrinks allowing the socket ring to float or move freely. Securing the socket ring is not an extensive repair for the technician if it is repaired prior to the socket cracking.

TENON AND TENON CORKS

     • Ensure that the tenon corks are clean, lubricated and create an airtight seal.

     The various joints of the clarinet are connected by a tenon and socket arrangement. The tenon cork functions to secure the joints together and create an airtight seal. New instruments do not come with tenon corks lubricated. A small amount of cork grease should be rubbed into the cork as a lubricant so that the joints connect easily and create a positive seal, as well as prevent the cork from drying and tearing.
     When applying the cork grease, rub it briskly into the cork so it penetrates the pores of the cork. Assemble the joints, then disassemble and wipe any excess grease from the tenon, as well as the inside of the socket. Because of the close proximity of the G#/C# key tone hole to the center tenon, grease and dirt that becomes too excessive can hamper the seal of the G#/C# key pad.
     Over a period of time, the grease on the tenon will attract dirt, lint and other particles. It is therefore a good practice to regularly wipe the tenon and tenon cork clean with a dry cotton cloth and apply new cork grease. A cotton swab is useful for wiping dirt out of the bottom of the socket. A pipe cleaner is useful for cleaning around the tenon between the cork and the body section.

Photo 2

CLARINET ASSEMBLY - UPPER & LOWER JOINTS

     HAND POSITION: The instrument must be assembled without applying excessive pressure to any key or lever causing it to bend in any way.

     Excessive pressure to keys, levers, rods and pad cups may easily cause a precise regulation of the key mechanism to become faulty. To assemble the upper and lower joints:

     • Grasp the upper joint in the palm of the left hand (barrel tenon pointing away and rings facing up), depressing the ring keys with your fingers, thus raising the upper bridge key.

     • Grasp the lower joint with the thumb firmly on the body between the low F/C and low E/B key pad cups, the fingers gripping around the joint where there are no keys and the palm of the right hand over the low E/B key hinge.

Photo 3

     JOINT ALIGNMENT: When assembled, the posts of the upper and lower joint ring keys should be in alignment, as well as the upper and lower bridge.

     The alignment of the post balls of the ring keys/stack keys on the upper and lower joints establishes the correct alignment of the tone holes in order to establish proper hand position. When this alignment is determined, the bridge keys should also be in perfect alignment. If the bridge keys do not align, they may be bent or in need of adjustment.

Photo 4

     Check that the upper and lower joints are aligned parallel to each other in a straight line and are wobble free. Deviation caused by a wobbly connection can affect the regulation (equal closure) of the upper and lower joint bridge key pads.

MOUTHPIECE, LIGATURE & REEDS

     • The compatibility of the mouthpiece with the instrument may be one of the most significant factors in the playing potential of the instrument.

     If there is no damage to the mouthpiece and the instrument sounds stuffy or does not project well, experiment with different mouthpieces. Often this alone can immensely improve an otherwise properly functioning instrument. The mouthpiece that came with the instrument may not be the most compatible for every player.

     • Chips, scratches or damage present on the mouthpiece tip or facing can greatly affect the performance of the instrument.

     Limited repair may be done in these areas. Replacing the mouthpiece is usually the best recourse.

     • Do not pull the swab through the mouthpiece, as the metal weight is likely to scratch the inner surfaces or chip the tip.

     With a finger in a soft, lint free cloth or chamois, wipe the mouthpiece from both open ends. Use caution not to scratch any of the mouthpiece bore or dull the sharpness of the rail on the facing of the mouthpiece. If the mouthpiece is unusually dirty, cleaning is best done with a soft brush and warm, mild soapy water.

     • Ensure that the ligature is free of bends & cracks, conforms to the mouthpiece & reed, and is placed between the reference lines etched into the mouthpiece.

Photo 5

     There are a wide variety of ligatures available today. All are designed to achieve a similar purpose: to hold the reed in place and yet allow the reed to vibrate freely. The shape of the ligature is designed to conform to the roundness of the mouthpiece and the butt portion of the reed. Be careful when assembling that the ligature conforms to the reed at the area designated. Tighten the ligature screws until they just hold the reed firmly. Over tightening the ligature screws will restrict the reed vibration. Bent, cracked, chipped or out of round ligatures may hold the reed unevenly and adversely affect the performance of the instrument. These reeds should be replaced.

     • The reed must be in good condition, free of chips and cracks, and be properly placed on the mouthpiece.

     When placing the reed on the mouthpiece, ensure that the tip and the butt of the reed are centered on the mouthpiece. When looking directly across the tip of the reed, a minute portion of the mouthpiece should be seen. Reeds that are chipped or cracked should be discarded. After each playing session, the reed should be placed on a flat surface so it will dry naturally without warping. An assortment of reed guards are available from music dealers for this purpose.

BORE, TONE HOLES & BODY

     • Removing all moisture after each playing session is probably the single most significant preventive maintenance that can be done to prevent cracking of wooden instruments.

     The better grade clarinets are made from a very hard African Blackwood or Grenadilla. Any wood, no matter how hard, is prone to cracking. Natural cracking is generally caused by changes in humidity. When humidity changes are extreme, the instrument is most vulnerable to cracking. Often, cracking will occur even if extra preventive measures have been taken. Cracks usually will appear in the upper part of the upper joint and stop when they reach a tone hole or post. Look on the outside of the body as well as its counterpart location in the bore to determine if a crack is present. Often an open grain or resin canal on the body surface may look like a crack but does not completely penetrate to the bore.
     Preventive measures can decrease the likelihood that cracks will occur. Keeping the instrument from any extreme change in humidity or temperature is one of the most beneficial things we can do to prevent cracking. If the instrument has been in the cold, allow the instrument to adjust to room temperature gradually before playing. The warm moist air induced into the bore by playing can be shocking to the cold, outside wood body causing it to stress and crack.
     Always swab each joint separately with a chamois or clean, absorbing swab to remove all moisture from the bore. Use caution that the weight does not scratch the bore. Wipe excess moisture from the tenons and sockets with a soft, lint free cloth after each playing session.

     Caution: Oiling the bore with the keys in place is not recommended, as the oil may dry out and harden the pads, which will inhibit their seal.

     An oil treatment to the body can often help resist the drying that takes place in the wood and help prevent cracking. It is recommended that the keys be removed from the instrument and the oil be applied inside and out so that the body can absorb oil from all surfaces. Seek a professional repair shop for this service.

THUMB REST

     • Check regularly to ensure that the thumb rest screws are secure.

     If the thumb rest is loose, snug the screws so that the thumb rest is secure. As the screws become loose, the thumb rest will begin to move and wobble. The stress placed on the thumb rest, due to the weight of the instrument, can cause loose screws to eventually break out of the body creating a major repair in that area.
     If the screws will not tighten, an oversize screw may be installed to secure the thumb rest. Only use an oversize screw that is designed for the thumb rest. Oversize screws are available from your local band instrument repair technician. If that does not solve the problem, see a qualified repair technician for advice.

Photo 6

Ken Cance has been Woodwind Repair Instructor of the nationally recognized Band Instrument Repair Program at Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical (Red Wing) since August 1994. In addition to teaching instrumental music for twelve years, he has also managed the Department of Defense Musical Instrument Repair Facility located in Germany, has operated a repair shop in Texas and has established his own band instrument repair business in Wisconsin. Ken is a member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT) and has presented clinics both regionally and nationally.

Copyright © 2002 Neil A. Kjos Music Company. All rights reserved.