Educational Question about clarinet Pitch & Tuner

[zwniana]

i need explanation on this. I cant find the answer anywhere.

So what is the purpose of a clarinet tuner. For example I see that in USA they use 440 and in europe 442. When i blow through the clarinet i get a G note on my Hammerschmidt C clarinet with all keys open but on the tuner it is leaning all the way to the right (sharp). I have a second barrel does that make the pitch? does barrel length set pitch?

What does that mean? Does this all even matter?

Could it be because i am using a Bb mouthpiece?

[chitowngreek]

try pulling the barrell out about 1/16 of an inch ,if it is still sharp pull it out some more till the needle comes to the middle , the best thing would be to play the clarinet about 10 minutes till it reaches temperature then test it again , tseligas can elaborate more on this issue .

[tseligas]

Zwniana, here is a great read on clarinet tuning that Chitown was kind to bring to my attention. Read through the whole thing:
http://www.wikihow.com/Tune-a-Clarinet

Also is the other barrel Longer?
I would try 2 things of the bat.
a) Play for 10 minutes whatever to warm it up so it is stable
b) Set the tuner at 440hz See which barrel is in tune
c) Set the tuner at 442 hz. See if the other barrel is in tune.

If you got one barrel for each pitch then that's great.
Let us know the outcome of this minitest and we ll guide you further!

Since you bought the clarinet brand new I doubt it is out of tune!

Also if this test is unsuccesful...then yes the mouthpiece does play a role especially in the small clarinets. You see if you use a Bb mouthpiece on a La clarinet because the instrument is getting longer the effects of a small mismatch is not so augmented. But having a smaller clarinet same change in length will have a stronger effect.

Another Q. Did you get the mouthpiece with the clarinet? Or did you have it in the past? I can modify it for you in no time if needed....
But the thing is that if you say that the tuner shows that the pitch is high then that means that you need to lengthen the clarinet...so that probably aint the case.... Sorry for thinking out loud guys!!!

[zwniana]

the longer barrel seems to play in tune. The shorter barrel still shows more sharp. but adjusting the way i blow into the mouthpiece adjust the pitch too.

Coming from a stiffer reed / closed mouthpiece this may just need a personal getting used to.

Anyone make C mouthpiece (I have only found 1 online)

[chitowngreek]

zwmiama >>are you using a do clarinet??

[zwniana]

yes i sure am!

[tseligas]

Chitown! Zwniana is a purist !!! :-) oh btw.. I found out about the wax...Lefteris told me how to do it and why.. I will post something in another thread.

Now regarding C mouthpieces. I have heard that they are interchangable with the Bb ones. But not all of them. It get's tricky and you have to experiment.
You may have issues with high notes being in tun and prevent the brightness.

Here is someone to call to find out more about this:
http://www.morganmouthpieces.com/

NOW !!! Thinking more about it... Because of the rarity of the C instruments it doesn't make sense to produce dedicated C mouthpieces. Therefore many new C clarinets are made for Bb mouthpieces.!!! You really have to talk to the manufacturer for that one though!.

Let us know how it goes! Idea!

[zwniana]

i bet you i would smile with excitement if i ever did spend the money on a C mouthpiece. Music

in the meantime the ones i have will have to do.

[tseligas]

Post a video!!Idea!Idea!Idea!

[chitowngreek]

if you search you will find c mouthpieces,but they are few and far imbetween ,they pop up on e bay once in a while