Clarinet & Saxophone Pads and Repadding CASS Article

Clarinet & Saxophone Pads and Repadding

I was asked the question below about pads last month for my Single Reed Doctor column in the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain ( CASS ) magazine and following some time for thought and discussion I have tried to answer in general but, hopefully, still useful terms.

There are so many different pads on the market now. Why do different makers use different pads, and which should I choose if I get my instrument repadded?

My reply follows:

Since for most players a total replacement of pads – a ‘repad’ – is a rare occurrence a logical piece of standard advice would be to replace single or even multiple worn pads with whatever type of pad was previously used. Combining or mixing a variety of pads is not usually recommended. Your repairer should be able to advise you and employ the appropriate pads. However, on the occasion when a complete repad is required one really does have a choice to make.

The construction of musical instrument pads is quite a complicated business involving different layers of materials to provide the desired combination of stability, rigidity, flexibility, air tightness and durability. The quality of the finished pad also can vary greatly with more expensive pads (using better materials) often well worth the additional cost. Pads are usually referred to by the material used on their surface and there are indeed many options available from frequently used ‘skin’ pads traditionally made from fish bladder, to various types and qualities of leather (white, brown, black), cork, and numerous synthetic surface material pads. Virtually all will be found successfully in use depending upon both the quality of the materials used to create the pads and the expertise and familiarity of the installer (repairer) in their fitting. All pad types require experience and practice in their fitting to perform at their best. Do bear in mind that manufacturers choose and supply the type of pads they use in their new instruments for a variety of different reasons including but not limited to: durability, ease of installation, cost, tradition, artistic input, availability, air tightness and appearance.

Let’s consider clarinet and saxophone options separately as they have fundamentally different requirements from their padding.

Clarinets have traditionally been padded in either skin or leather pads. In my experience the performance of good quality pads made from either material, expertly fitted, is very similar and can be highly satisfactory. Leather pads are anecdotally often credited with being more slightly more durable and tending to mellow a tone quality when compared with skin pads. They may also be more forgiving for seating to tone holes. Cork pads are sometimes used for smaller upper joint tone holes but the successful employment of cork depends hugely the experience of the repairer doing the fitting  and on the quality of the cork itself as high quality ‘clean’ cork is increasingly difficult and costly to obtain. Cork is not suitable for lower joint pads so by default a less desirable ‘mix’ of pads ends up being used. New synthetic material pads have the opportunity to be more airtight than any natural product but, also anecdotally, have a tendency to acquire ’tackiness’ on their surfaces, which, while this can be addressed by cleaning when it occurs, can be very annoying.

For saxophones the widely respected quality of Gordon Beeson leather pads has set a standard of comparison for all padding options ever since their introduction in the 1940’s. Older instruments, dating to the 1940’s and earlier, were occasionally padded in white leather with inadequate backing materials and the quality of their performance varied widely. There were some examples of excellent pad performance but also much indifferent or poor performance as well. Skin and cork pads have never been routinely used. For some players synthetic pads may have a genuine role to play for use in smaller left and ‘palm key’ tone holes which attract a great deal of moisture and they are certainly capable of great durability. However they can be problematic for stability when used in pad cups covering larger tone holes and on pads that rely upon spring action to open, specifically the G# and low C# pads, as a result of the propensity for the surfaces of synthetic pads to become ‘tacky’ and stick. For the saxophone player the additional choice of reflectors, plastic or metal, flat or domed, also arises and one may wish to consider these options carefully as there are different sound qualities also attributed to the choice of reflector. Domed metal reflectors tend to brighten a tone and aid projection whereas plastic or ‘flat’ reflectors affect or ‘boost’ the tone far less.

My suggestion would be to hold a conversation with the repairer who will be entrusted with repadding your instrument to learn their opinions and what experience they have with the different pad options and their properties. Where it seems desirable I would advise one stay with what has worked well your instrument in the past. In general avoid any temptation to ‘mix’ pads. If you do wish to try something new and you discover that your repairer is less or even unfamiliar with the type of pad you are considering you should precede with caution – they could find themselves learning how to handle and seat the pads you that have specified with no prior experience and the final result may not be what you imagined. Hopefully the combination of an appropriate pad choice that is suitable for your future needs and expectations as well as the expertise of your repairer will result in an inspirational ‘fresh start’ and long lasting good performance from your instrument.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

The Value of Repairers

The Value of Repairers

It is all too easy to forget the value and importance of a good musical instrument repairer to ones experience of their beloved instrument. Repairers, good ones, will usually have completed a multi-year training course to learn the skills that the rest of us can only guess at. These courses often have a final project of making an instrument, often a clarinet or perhaps a trumpet, completely by hand so that all the related skills of wood and metal turnings, tone hole drilling, key work construction, plating, soldering, padding, springing, mounting of key work and finishing are experienced 'from the inside out'.

Learning the proper techniques and use of tools for dent removal, key work straightening and silencing, pad seating and the balancing of springs and mechanisms, crack repair and reconstruction following major damage is a lifelong and continuing effort and one where experiences gained from handling hundreds of instruments is vital. An inquisitive repairer will pay attention to and learn from all of the situations which he or she has encountered and then draw upon these experiences to both inform, improve and make more efficient subsequent repairs.

It is not unusual in many music shops for a senior repairer to over see the work of more junior repair staff for a number of years before the apprentices are truly competent to take on unsupervised repair work for customers.

The result of all this training, on the job experience and supervision, is a highly skilled individual who should be able assess the genuine cause of poor instrument performance and have the skills to repair the problems identified and thereby return an instrument to a top condition - often 'better than new' - as instrument manufacturers are usually producing instruments under such time pressure that final finishing stages are rushed and such time consuming personal attention is not feasible.

In addition to all the time spent gaining knowledge and experience a repairer is providing a service that relies upon expensive tools, machinery and consumables (pads, corks, felts, screws etc.). A selection of woodwind pads of suitable sizes to handle most demands can cost thousands of pounds for each instrument. Brass dents tools and mandrels are very costly as well. Maintaining a workshop is a significant expense and of course, so are handling the inevitable questions of customers. Customers should be wary of 'cheap' repairs and my advice is to allow a repairer to do the job that they feel your instrument requires or deserves. This often ends up being the best way to ensure proper performance and ensure cost effectiveness. You should be encouraged to ask friends and colleagues or working professional for their recommendations for repairers. It is usually best advice to pay for good quality repairs and work to maintain the condition of your instrument afterwards.

A note to all players and teachers - 

  
All musicians are well advised to pay attention to the construction and function of their instruments and it does pay to learn some 'quick fix' skills for emergency situations. Teachers really should prepare themselves to be able to advise their pupils on the condition of their instruments and perhaps understand and execute simple key work regulation and explain proper handling, cleaning and lubrication as a part of the regular lesson process.

Even a little time spent understanding how instruments function is sure to prove very useful throughout a playing / teaching career and the knowledge gained is fascinating in itself - if for no reason than to better appreciate the further skills and resources provided by an actual repairer when a situation calls for their greater experience to solve more major problems or provide the more thorough servicing that will keep an instrument playing at its best.

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The thoughts and comments above are the result of many years of learning from and reliance upon the skills of repairers for my own and my pupils instruments. I am grateful for the help and service that I have received as well as the inspiration that I have drawn from my encounters with some very talented and dedicated professional repairers. It has been my privilege to have worked alongside many such repairers including Daniel Bangham, Brian Dent and Timothy Taylor from Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) and others in the UK and USA to whom I am indebted.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Flute Regular Adjustment and Regulation

Regular Adjustment & Regulation - Flute

Proper handling, cleaning and assembly will minimise the occurrence of most problems but some regulations benefit from regular attention and are often required - even on new instruments recently supplied.

The basic tools required for adjustment are minimal but a good quality, small tip screwdriver is essential. A spring hook is desireable as well as is a 'pad slick' or small, flat blade knife.

1)   For me the most frequent regulation required is the screw adjustment under the LH 2^nd finger touch. This screw regulates the closure of the Bb key just above. Under a light finger pressure the Bb pad often stays slightly open and so the regulation screw must be adjusted to close the key. As a leak here will affect all notes below it frequently causes response problems and accidental 'overblowing' of harmonics.

2)   On split E mechanism flutes (most instruments in recent years) there is a similar adjustment required for proper closure of the G-key pads. The LH 3^rd finger key touch closes the ‘split’ portion of the G-key via an adjustment screw.

3)   The 1 and 1 or long fingering for Bb relies upon the correct amount of contact from the engagement of the RH 1^st finger key via its connection arm. This arm frequently becomes bent or damaged and also the cushioning felt or cork often compresses over time. Regulation is accomplished by bending the arm (raised via the touch of the LH A-key) usually downward until sufficient contact is made with the RH arm when the RH 1^st or 2^nd finger is engaged. This adjustment often requires several attempts to get right and is worth constant monitoring.

4)   The RH F# touch regulation is another adjustment often required. Closing the F#-key touch must hold down the correspondence keypad just below the G-keys and problems can be masked by other keys functioning well until F# is required on its own. Turn the regulation screw by small degrees until the F# keypad closes under a light finger pressure.

5)   On the footjoint the low C# and C are meant to be held down with just the touch of the low C-key without having to hold down the C#-key as well – but often this does not work properly. Usually the C# key has been bent through assembly handling or a small compression has occurred in the cushioning felt. To remedy this hold the C#-key pad down with your RH first finger and push up the C#-key touch piece with your LH thumb. In most cases a small movement is all that is required. If you go too far then to correct simply do a reverse bending of the C# key arm. Test by touching only the low C roller arm with a light pressure and tap to see if both pads are properly closing.

Finally it is worth checking that the headjoint cork is in the correct position. This often moves about due to unnecessary ‘twiddling’ of the headjoint crown, which pulls out the threaded screw and this the cork - out of position. Place the cleaning rod with the non-slotted end inside the headjoint to see if the inscribed line is centred on the embouchure hole. Do not try to remove the headjoint cork out the top of the headjoint as the tube is tapered. Instead reposition the cork with a combination of backing off of the crown a few turns and pushing the assembly in or winding the crown tighter to pull the assembly out a bit.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Clarinet Regular Adjustment and Regulation

This is an area of knowledge that every player should try to take on board. One never knows when a situation might arise where knowing what to do for a 'quick' repair may save the day. 

In my opinion questions or problems relating to pad seating and the air tightness of an instrument are best referred to expert repairers. Having said that, the greatest frequency of problems in clarinet functioning arises from bent keywork, the correspondence mechanism, and ring height adjustments - and these can be sorted out relatively quickly with a bit of background, confidence and practice.

The basic tools required for adjustment are minimal but a good quality, small tip screwdriver is essential. A spring hook is desireable as well as is a 'pad slick' or small, flat blade knife. Thomas

Regular Adjustment & Regulation - Clarinet

1)      The ‘crows foot’ key, found in the little finger RH cluster of keys, exists to link up the closure of the low E / B key to hold down the low F / C key, and is frequently becomes bent due to poor handling during assembly and / or compaction of the felt or cork that cushions the contact. If it is not working correctly the player will be unable to engage the LH E / B without also holding down the RH F / C (or the converse). This is very frustrating as the player expects the notes to work with only one little finger lightly applied. To correct - place your thumb under the crows foot and press upwards to return the keyfoot to correct position. If you go too far this can be reversed. Test by playing middle D and engaging the E / B keys alternatively with first LH then RH little fingers. The middle B should sound without difficulty. If marginal try playing middle B and adding and releasing the F / C key – if there is an improvement or loss of response you must readjust the crows foot key.

2)      The linking arm from the RH key stack through to the upper joint correspondence key for the ‘1 & 1’ Eb / Bb is often bent (either upper or lower arm) or the upper arm may have lost its cork / felt. This correspondence must be correctly adjusted in order to close the upper joint 2^nd key ring and pad when the RH stack keys are closed otherwise the ‘1 & 1’ fingering for Eb / Bb will not work or will at will speak very badly or be out of tune. After the key is in position and having ensured that the proper dimension of cork or felt is in place adjust this correspondence from the upper joint key arm bending up or down until the a light touch of the RH ring keys will operate the upper joint keys properly.

3)      All ring keys are intended to close connected / related pads with a minimum of finger pressure. Often pads will swell due to moisture absorption or may have collapsed due to playing pressure or develop too deep a pad seat over time and then an hairline leak of air can  result either between tone hole and pad or between chimney and the ring (under the finger). In either case the instrument will behave unpredictably and frequently squeak to an upper harmonic pitch. This can be corrected by the insertion of a thin metal knife blade (or pad slick – even a broken reed will do!) and push down either the pad (via the key) or raise the ring (or visa versa) depending upon what needs to be achieved - then re-test by blowing with light finger pressure and trying to replicate the problem. It you cannot then the correction was successful.

4)   The throat A key has a regulation screw that contacts the G# key. If this screw is over-regulated (turned too far) the A key will hold off closing and squeaks will follow. There should always be a clearance between the regulation screw contact and the bed of the A key. If this is not the case back off the G# regulation screw and perform a suction test on the top joint to see if the problem is then corrected.

Three additional recommendations:

Keep joints well greased - this simple action avoids so many problems related to assembly.

Alternative fingerings for the same pitch should sound the same – adjust vent height openings if they do not.

The register key sometimes vents too high and / or travels too far – reduce by bending the touch piece down towards the body of the instrument if this is so. Too low - bend the register key upwards till the result sounds correct for both middle Bb pitch and gives the correct upper register resonse.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers