Reed Squeaks - Why this happens and what to do when it does

Reed Squeaks - Why this happens and what to do when it does

Almost all clarinet and saxophone players have at some point experienced their reed 'squeaking', often it seems in a most embarrassing situation or circumstance. Other reed players will usually offer sympathy - players of different instruments (brass, strings, percussion) just wonder what is going on - as we might well also. Here is my attempt to explain the 'reed squeak' in layman's terms and a few suggestions for what once can do to help.

The squeak of the reed is an uncontrolled harmonic or unintended sounding due to the vibration of the air column being adversely or improperly generated, usually at the mouthpiece / reed end or sometimes within the tube of the instrument.

Checklist:

• If this should happen to you the first place to check is the reed 'seat' on the mouthpiece. One can check this visually using a straight edge ruler or knife, sighting along the flat underside of the reed and looking in the direction of a strong light source. If light 'leaks' or shines through a gap under or around the reed then the cane has warped and must be flattened either by careful scraping using the straight knife blade or rubbing the reed on a sandpaper placed on a flat surface. A reed resurfacer may also be used for this purpose. Once the cane underside appears flat again retest by playing and see if the problem has disappeared. A suction test can be performed to see if the reed will do its job properly again - here is how:

Place the reed on the mouthpiece and tighten the ligature as normal. Lick or wet the palm of the hand. Place the 'back end' of the mouthpiece on your hand and placing your lips around the tip of the mouthpiece aggressively suck backwards removing as much air from inside the mouthpiece as you can. Release the mouthpiece from your lips pulling it out and hopefully the reed will hold in the closed position for 2-3 or more seconds until the vacuum is lost and the reed 'pops' open with a noise. This test takes a bit of practice but once you get the knack it is a very useful indication of a reeds state of readiness to perform.

• Less frequently wear or damage can occur to the facing of the mouthpiece itself and this can be the source of a air leak either between the reed and the 'table' of the facing or on the rails or tip where they come into contact with reed. This type of wear is often difficult to detect but if problems with squeaking or reed response are a regular occurrence then this may well be the explanation. Try some different mouthpieces and / or visit a mouthpiece craftsman with the proper tools to check and measure the mouthpiece.

• It is also possible on both clarinet and saxophone that a hairline or larger leak is affecting the accurate sounding of one or more notes. This can be due to pad seating but is often more subtle sometimes on the clarinet occurring due to an incomplete closure of the finger to the top of a tone hole on the instrument - i.e. the ring positioned to 'high' or the incomplete closure of a pad due to a ring positioned too 'low'. Check especially the left hand 1st and 2nd finger rings and the right hand rings. If your finger(s) bottom out on the tone hole before the ring fully closes the pad a leak will be present. If the pad closes before the ring allows your finger to cover an open hole air can leak out under the finger. Bend the key work in the appropriate direction to overcome the non-alignment. A butter knife or other thin, flat metal plate can be used.

• Common sources of response problems for the saxophone is found in the correspondence connections relating to the left had 2nd finger touch (which must hold down 3 key/pads in total) and also the right hand correspondences to the F# pad. Regulation screws, where present may help to return the correct function of these keys but be prepared to insert a butter knife or other thin, flat metal plate underneath a pad to be able to close a related key arm to overcome the closure problem. If you go too far you may have to reverse the process.

• Poor regulation of the G# key screw can account for poor performance of low C#, B and Bb. I recommend that this be checked each time you play.

• Whenever key work is adjusted there is a chance that the attempted correction will not go well or even be the wrong answer to a problem so having a good repairer available to visit should your best emergency efforts fail is always advisable.

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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