Taking a key off???

WoodwindDoubler

WoodwindDoubler

Hey everyone!

I need a little clarinet advice!

My throat tones on my Bb Clarinet are hissy ... specifically the Bb. My private lesson prof said it's most likely because of fibers getting stuck on the metal that is on the inside of the clarinet. He suggested I just take off the thumb key and clean it out.

So ... my question is not of validity of the above statement ... but is it hard to put it back on after taking it off? I don't want to do anything unless i know I can put it back together again!

Thanks,

Sarah
 
It is a good practice to pull the register (or, "thumb" key, as you referred to it) on a periodic basis and then run a pipe cleaner (one of those wire things with the stiff bristles wound through it) through the opening. Just remove the key, pass the pipe cleaner through the vent tube a few times, and then blow anything left loose in there through the tube before replacing the key.

Mineral deposits from the condensate that flows through the horn, swab lint (if you use a swab type cleanout tool), fibers from a pull through swab (even the silk ones carry some of this through the horn) and (the worst of all) case plush lint can migrate into the bore of your horn and accumulate in the vent tube (which is the narrowest "tone hole" on all typical clarinets) that protrudes into the bore. Too much bore oil can contribute to this as well.

Since the register vent tube is the smallest tone hole on the instrument, it is particularly sensitive to anything that would diminish its diameter. It takes very little deposit here to make the throat Bb sound "fuzzy", although the vent will continue to function as a register key in those circumstances.

(If your instrument is one of those with a pin in the center of a register key cork that protrudes from the cork into the center of the vent, you need to be sure not to disturb this arrangement. If you are worried that you might disturb the pin, then this cleaning procedure should probably be something that your technician performs instead of you.)

A very simple procedure, one that will improve the tone quality of one of the worst notes on the instrument. Well worth the time, and within the abilities of most players.
 
Thanks so much for your reply! VERY informative! I think I will do it with the supervision of my techie ... that way he can make sure i'm doing it correctly, but I will learn how to do it myself in the future!
 
I'll add that you need to do it on a large, flat, clean surface where you can easily find small pieces that may allude your fingers. Be methodical as you remove pieces and set them down in the order you removed them.

AND, make sure that whatever tool you use (mainly a screwdriver) has a bit that matches the slots. Having mis-matched tools makes any work difficult and may mar the finish on whatever you are working. DAVE
 
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