The clarinet is a complex mechanism in which many variables interact with each other.

The type of pad and its seating; the amount of the pad opening; the tension in the spring; the motion of the key; the exact height of placement of the part of the key
touched by the finger; and the size and shape of each tone hole in relation to its position on the bore. All of these variables are connected and interact with each other.

The perfection of the response of the instrument itself is as vital to artistic success as the reed and the manner in which the instrument is played.

What is the real purpose of maintaining and repairing the clarinet?

Although this seems like an obvious question, the answer is in keeping with an attitude essential for the professional clarinetist. He wants to use the instrument as a medium through which the music is transmitted. Anything that stands in the way of expressing the music--whether a key that is not quite flexible enough or a pad that is not perfectly seated--will detract from his concentration and, inevitably, from the quality of his performance.

Seen in this way, the purpose of maintenance and repair is to ensure that the clarinet plays as efficiently as possible. A perfectly maintained clarinet can be played in a straightforward manner, so that the player is not preoccupied by attempts to offset imperfections in intonation, flexibility and response.

Then in performance the player can pay full attention to the music, not the clarinet. For all these reasons the importance of a first-rate repairman cannot be stressed too highly. His art is to adjust each instrument so that it plays with efficiency of motion and fulfills its potential of tone. It is only through the skill and patience of these craftsmen that we are able to pursue our art of performance.

They are the unsung heroes behind each beautiful phrase played on any instrument.

A clarinet in use by a professional should be gone over twice a year by a repairman; daily maintenance is the responsibility of the clarinetist.

Like a reed, the action of the clarinet must be regarded as a living thing. How the
clarinet should be maintained depends on what the player is trying to do in terms of technique and sound, how much he is playing, the type of music he is playing and physical conditions such as temperature and humidity.

Maintenance of the clarinet should aim at allowing the instrument to sound at its best--not necessarily to remain "permanently" trouble-free. Thus the player should avoid repair solutions that guarantee less trouble at the expense of impairing the sound or action of the instrument.

To illustrate with a detailed example, one can pack the left-hand b and c-sharp keys with plastic shims (rather than fish skin) in order to prevent excess motion in the key and guarantee that the key will move silently. The plastic will never wear out whereas fish skin will. However, the action will be much slower than if one uses fish skin. Therefore, one must use "impermanent" fish skin rather than "permanent" plastic.

Vigilant daily maintenance is needed because the clarinet is always deteriorating from a state of mechanical perfection. Maintenance should aim at keeping the system in order and operating at a maximum state of efficiency, flexibility and reliability.

Forward to Pads

return to top