How Do I Keep My Clarinet From Going Flat?

Question:I play clarinet in my high school marching band and now that the weather's starting to get cold, my pitch ends up being as flat as a pancake. Please don't tell me to keep on blowing warm air into it--I do it FOREVER but I still end up being really flat! I was wondering if it has something to do with my reed, mouthpiece, instrument, embouchure, etc. Indoors, my pitch is perfectly fine, but outdoors, my pitch drops terribly flat.

My instrument is fairly old (7 years old to be more precise), I use 3 and a half Rico reeds, my mouthpiece is (excuse my language) crap (is that the reason why I'm flat?), and even when I have the barrel pushed in all the way, I am ridiculously flat. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated (I have a competition next Sunday, so I want advice ASAP).

Maybe techniques to make my pitch sharper in general would help...?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I play clarinet in my high school marching band and now that the weather's starting to get cold, my pitch ends up being as flat as a pancake. Please don't tell me to keep on blowing warm air into it--I do it FOREVER but I still end up being really flat! I was wondering if it has something to do with my reed, mouthpiece, instrument, embouchure, etc. Indoors, my pitch is perfectly fine, but outdoors, my pitch drops terribly flat.

My instrument is fairly old (7 years old to be more precise), I use 3 and a half Rico reeds, my mouthpiece is (excuse my language) crap (is that the reason why I'm flat?), and even when I have the barrel pushed in all the way, I am ridiculously flat. ANY advice would be greatly appreciated (I have a competition next Sunday, so I want advice ASAP).

Maybe techniques to make my pitch sharper in general would help...?

This is a question that most clarinet players have to face at some time. Flat is always very hard to fix, since unlike sharpness, pulling out won't fix it.

To be completely honest, there isn't a whole lot you can do. When the instrument gets cold it goes flat, this is why when you are indoors your pitch is fine. Blowing warm air into your horn will help a little, but it's so cold outside that your pitch will still be flat. To bring up the pitch a firmer embouchure usually helps, also, when you play think high (think of staying high or sharper, and amazingly enough the pitch usually follows).

I don't think switching reed thicknesses would do anything, I tried once to switch from 3.5 reeds to 3 for marching (thinking that I could blow easier and thus be louder) and all I did was mess up my embouchure and squeak because I was blowing too hard for a 3 reed. A different mouthpiece is certainly always a good investment, but it probably has nothing to do with your tuning either. Another very important thing to think about is what ligature you are using. You would be AMAZED at the difference a good ligature makes. The Luyben Clarinet Ligature is my clarinet professor's favorite, and I like it a lot too. It's plastic, and very inexpensive. Another one to try would be the Bonade Inverted Ligature. It too is very inexpensive and has a great sound. Try both out and see which one you like better. I currently use a Vandoren Optimum, but it is VERY expensive (65.00), and I would only recommend it if you are very serious about concert season (and have a wood horn to pair it with).

Do you use Rico reeds for concert band as well? I suggest you switch to Vandoren reeds at some point. My high school band director refused to buy us Ricos, and now that I'm in college my clarinet professor wouldn't even hear of using them. It is all personal preference, of course. Ricos ARE a bit cheaper, but if you order them by the box online you can get Vandorens for about $15.99 for 10. Also, if you do switch the 3.5 might not translate to Vandoren, I switched from 3 Ricos to 3 Vandorens with no problems, but everyone is different.

Another thing to try is to sit in a practice room with a tuner right away when you put your horn together (it will be cold at this point, since you haven't played at all yet, which is why you have to tune after warming up in concert season). Check your notes with the tuner and see which notes tend to be your flattest. I have also found that certain reeds of mine will play flatter than others. And, of course, some days will just be flat days or sharp days. Once you figure out what your horn does you can better deal with it.

I guess the only consolation is that you can only do the best you can, and the rest of the instruments in your band are dealing with the same thing. In cold weather the band is going to be flat. As long as you concentrate on bringing the pitch up and blending with the other band members you should be fine. Good luck!!

If you have any other clarinet questions feel free to contact me! I'd be more than willing to help you out!! :)

ya, u might wanna change the mouth piece. might help.

I play clarinet in my high school marching band as well and because the weather is getting cold, our section leader tells us to pull out...That's why in the summer, our band director tells us to push in. Don't worry.. My band instructor tells us to pull out alot for competitions.. I use 3 for the Rico reeds.. Also, tighten up the embourcher and firm the mouth.. Is the reed new?? Suck on it for at least 2 minutes.. changing the mouthpiece might help but the media that acutally produces the sounds are the reeds you buy so make sure you're using quality reeds.

try changing your reed..... use a vandoren.. they are really good reeds... make sure your corks aren't in need of replacing.... you may be having a leaky pad as well esp if your instrument is that old.... any air leaks will have an effect on pitch.... heres what your do..... take a crisp dollar bill.. push down your keys one at a time and try to slide the dollar bill under it.... if you can get it under there. you have a leak and will need to either have the pad replaced or the key adjusted.... look at your corks... if they go in with very little resistence, or - if there are any gashes or cracks you will need to get them redone.. all these factors could play into why you are flat... you instrument should be complety pushed in at all joints... pull out if your sharp, push in if your flat......

You may need to acquire another mouthpiece.

I'd also recommend thinking about your airstream and your abdominal air support. If you hold your abs (tummy muscles) halfway in between pushing out and sucking in, you're on the right track.

The shape of your airstream should be as skinny as possible. To get this, raise the back of your tongue in an "EEE" position while playing. (Don't _say_ "EEE" while playing...it makes funny noises...just get the shape!)

Also think about your embouchure. Make sure your lips behave like a rubber band around the mouthpiece with equal pressure all the way around.