clarinet barrels
what u wanna know ????
bbls?.....forget the gimmicks out there. consider only 3. the stock bufet , tha chadash and moening, all in varying mm. The chadash will play a hair bit brighter than the Moening. The chadash DOES even out the 12th's.
REMEMBER>>>>>>> all bbls (even of same maker) ARE NOT EQUAL.
every bbls has a 'sweet' spot. what you need to do, is play just an open G. logo facing up/top. then rotate the bbl 1/4 turn, play open G, rotate, rotate. ONE of those positions will be brighter than others. That's the 'spot'.
Same hold true for bell with the 3 lowest notes. It's not as noticeable, but you can discern it.
Flat?.......Yes, too long a bbl can/will do that. A too soft a reed will let you play flat. In a pinch, raise the reed to just above the tip. Or, clip (easy now) or use a harder reed.
Also, position the reed slightly to the left (usually) of the mp and to right. One side usually (left ) plays better.
MP's are also a contributor to flatness/sharpness. I've 8 RD13 Bb's adn 2 A's. ALL play flat with my mp/bbl combo (several old original Chedvilles and any stock length bbl) , thus, I use a shorter bbl. My set of Yamaha Customs, however, play dead on with a stock length (66mm) bbl.
Using too short a bbl will cause real intonation problems. Granted, European pitch is at 442 vs American, 440. BUT a bbls pitch difference is about 5-8 cents per MM.
Let's not forget the old embouchure contribution to flatness. That's a topic in itself.
Now, assuming you have the Holy Graile of embouchures, mp, reed, a ligature properly positioned, go try some bbls
Now, who can help me on an intermediate + / pro - level alto, giving a rich, classical tone that's available at a decent price.
ps...if you want/need more info on bbls, mp's, just ask. I'm a symphony clarinetist