Woodwind Instruments E-Book

Daniel Bangham

• Herausgeber: The Crowood Press
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 460

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The care and understanding of an instrument are critical to its sound. This thorough book is therefore aimed at both the interested musician and those embarking on instrument repair as a full-time career. Organized into six parts, it guides the reader from initial diagnostic techniques all the way through to specialist repair instruction. It is packed with over 700 colour illustrations, step-by-step guidance and general advice. It covers clarinets, flutes, saxophones, oboes and bassoons. Written by a leading woodwind technician and teacher, it should be an essential companion in every workshop and be a handy reference for all musicians who want the best from their instruments.

Leseprobe

First published in 2022 by The Crowood Press Ltd Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 2HR

[email protected]

This e-book first published in 2022

© Daniel Bangham

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7198 4030 2

Cover design: Sergey Tsvetkov

Contents

Introduction

PART 1: GETTING STARTED

CHAPTER 1: Initial dismantle and reassemble of an instrument

Basic tools

All-purpose materials

A basic check-over and service of an instrument

Reassembling the instrument

CHAPTER 2: Order of assembly

Clarinet

Flute

Saxophone

Oboe

Bassoon

CHAPTER 3: Initial diagnosis – observations and tests

How woodwind instruments work

Initial observations and tests

CHAPTER 4: Emergency fixes

Common problems

Clarinets

Flutes

Saxophones

Oboes

Bassoons

CHAPTER 5: Care of instruments

How to store an instrument

How to prepare an instrument for playing

How to reduce the problem of water collecting in the tone holes

Aftercare

Lubrication

Oiling the bore

PART 2: INSTRUMENT ANATOMY

CHAPTER 6: The main sections of each instrument

Clarinet

Flute

Saxophone

Oboe

Bassoon

CHAPTER 7: Bodywork components

Tenons and sockets

Tone holes

Bed plates and tone hole rims

Pillars

CHAPTER 8: Keywork

Parts of a key

Keywork mechanisms

Replaceable parts

PART 3: THE WORKSHOP AND REPAIR PROCESSES

CHAPTER 9: The workshop

The workbench

General workshop tools

CHAPTER 10: Checking and repairing bodywork

Bodywork faults

Tenon corks

CHAPTER 11: Checking and repairing keywork

Unwanted movement in keywork

Waisted hinge screws

Improving pinned hinge rods

Damaged key corks and felts

Faulty springs

Other keywork checks

CHAPTER 12: Checking and replacing pads

Checking pads

Replacing pads

CHAPTER 13: Overhauls

CHAPTER 14: Regulation

Time of arrival

Time of departure

Special case regulation

Setting the vent height

Setting spring weights

CHAPTER 15: Re-assembly

Clarinet

Flute

Saxophone

Oboe

Bassoon

PART 4: SPECIALIST REPAIRS

CHAPTER 16: Specialist repair tools and materials

Lathes

Milling machines

Measuring tools

Tools for holding instruments

Specialist repair materials

Adhesives

Abrasives and cleaning materials

CHAPTER 17: Specialist repairs

Spring work

Improving the action of keys

Removing a stuck hinge screw

Tools needed to make a hinge screw

Making a replacement hinge screw

Tone hole replacement

Tone hole replacement tools and materials

Replacing a tone hole

Repairing cracks

Mending broken keys and joints

Separating stuck tenon joints on wooden instruments

Lining a socket

Replacing a broken tenon

Measuring tapered bores

Bassoon repairs

Alterations

PART 5: MATERIALS AND TOOL BUILDING

CHAPTER 18: Materials used for the body and keywork of woodwind instruments

Metals

Plastics

Woods

Composites

CHAPTER 19: Cleaning and polishing tools and materials

Polishing

CHAPTER 20: Making tools

Making a tenon scraper

Making a rolling steady

Making a sacrificial mandrel

Threads of screws on woodwind instruments

List of suppliers

Acknowledgements

Index

Introduction

Thank you for opening this book. I wonder if, like me, you are curious about how to make instruments more enjoyable to play.

This was my motivation when I started learning to repair instruments over forty years ago. Having spent my early teenage years struggling to learn how to play the flute, I happened to pick up a friend’s Yamaha flute at orchestra practice and discovered a whole new world, one where it was no longer a struggle to get the notes out and it was actually fun playing the flute. I was immediately intrigued to know what the difference was between my 1960s Hsinghai flute and the Yamaha flute; they looked so similar yet behaved so differently.

I never did persuade my parents to get me a Yamaha, but they did find a technician to improve the Hsinghai; even then it wasn’t really good enough. I now know why it never played very well and I hope by reading this book you too will understand why.

My curiosity was encouraged by Ron Morris, an inspirational craft teacher at our school, who later pointed me in the direction of Newark College of Music Technology, where I studied for two years. It was a few years later, when I returned to Newark as a visiting tutor, that I discovered my love of teaching.

Being invited to write this book has enabled me to continue my teaching and hopefully help new generations enjoy playing good-quality, well-maintained instruments.

The working title for this book was The Woodwind Repairer, but on reflection I felt the word ‘repairer’ rather underplays the role that a skilled woodwind technician has in musicians’ lives. The work is not confined to just making an instrument work: it involves developing an understanding of what the musician is trying to achieve in order to enable improvements to be made and technical difficulties to be overcome. There is huge satisfaction to be had from hearing a performance on an instrument that you have had a part in improving and maintaining.

To accommodate the wide range of contexts in which this book may be used, the book offers low-cost or improvised solutions as well as those using expensive engineering tools. With lots of background information about how and why things are done in a particular way, it provides ideas on how to tackle new problems. Whatever equipment you have at your disposal, I hope you will discover where a minute turn of a screw or a subtle change to the shape of a cork can transform the experience and enjoyment of playing for the musician. As such, I hope that it becomes a companion reference book for woodwind technicians and players alike.

Even after forty years of looking after woodwind instruments, it is still a new journey every time a musician comes into the workshop with a problem. To be successful on that journey, we need to know where we want to end up. In our case, this is with an instrument playing to the musician’s satisfaction. Note that this is subtly different to ending up with an instrument that is ‘as good as new’ or in perfect condition.

A good starting point for your journey is to handle lots of well-made instruments. It is knowing how they should look and feel that will enable you to spot the problems and damage when the musician comes to you for help. For the musician to have made their way to your workshop, they have reason to think something is wrong, so we need to listen to them. What are they experiencing? Why do they think something is wrong? What are the symptoms? Did a teacher advise them to come, and in which case, have they remembered the right message? Are they a professional struggling to perform a specific passage of music?

Then you start looking at their instrument; you can use the information the musician has given you and compare it to your own observations and comparisons to the good instruments you have handled in the past. You can then undertake the most appropriate processes to improve it.

The first part is as much about understanding people as it is understanding the behaviour of an instrument. The repair itself is very much process-driven; if you follow a series of steps diligently you can expect a successful outcome.

Fig. 0.1 Yamaha custom clarinet. Handling good instruments helps you learn what you are aiming for.

An important aspect of this musician–instrument relationship is that it is different from your relationship with the instrument. When a beginner comes in with a problem, it may simply be that their technique or choice of reed is causing most of the problem, so you need to know what is being experienced by the musician, as you may not experience the same issues on the instrument yourself.

The same goes for us as technicians. We can use our experience and technical abilities to overcome the problems the musician is having, to fool or persuade ourselves that the instrument is okay and the adjustments we have made are ‘good’ or ‘correct’, when in fact they are not. It is so easy to say to yourself, ‘I’m not sure what they are worried about – it plays fine for me’ when you have larger and stronger hands than the musician and are pushing too hard on the keys. So don’t be afraid to ask good musicians or repair colleagues to give a second opinion.

All skills require practice; musicians know this more than most, so treat instrument repair in the same way as practising an instrument. Practise and practise until you can do it well.

As well as offering you what I have learned over the years, I hope that this book will give you the confidence to challenge your skills and improve your own technique for yourself and your contemporaries. It takes hours of practice to become good at repairing and this book will launch and support you on your journey.

I hope you will read the book, enjoy your journey, and help to keep lots of instruments playing.

Author’s note

The woodwind instruments covered in detail in this book are clarinet in B♭, flute, alto saxophone, oboe, and bassoon. For the less common woodwind instruments, such as cor anglais, bass clarinet and piccolo, the principles of repair and regulation are the same; some of the specific issues associated with these instruments are discussed in Chapter 17, Specialist Repair.

CHAPTER 1

Initial Dismantle and Reassemble of an Instrument

I am going to start by describing how you can start your repair journey through dismantling and re-assembling an instrument. At this stage you will be identifying problems as you go, but not necessarily fixing them.

Whatever instrument you want to focus on later, I suggest you start by working on clarinets. The skills needed for a clarinet are transferable to other instruments. For your very first attempt, I suggest you use a low-value clarinet, one you can afford to make mistakes on. As soon as you feel confident, use better instruments, ones that are already in good condition. That way you can get familiar with what an instrument should look and feel like, without getting distracted or side-tracked with problems. It is by handling good instruments that we learn what we are trying to achieve.

Basic tools

I remember when I first started my training, I felt overwhelmed by all the unfamiliar tools and equipment. But when it came to the first day of teaching, we started with the basics: a workbench, four hand tools and a few old instruments to take apart and put together. The idea was that we needed to get first-hand experience of dismantling the instruments before we could really understand the study material we were going to cover over the next few years. I am taking a similar approach. You don’t really need to know all the names of the parts or the tools to be able to take it apart and put it together again. Just give it a go. (I will refer to parts of the instrument and processes you might not be familiar with at this stage; please look at the relevant chapters later in the book if you are unclear what I mean.)

Workbench

If you don’t have a dedicated workbench already, create a temporary workbench from a sheet of plywood, with an apron screwed on the front that can hook over the side of an existing table. Add a bench peg to this and you’re all set!

Fig. 1.1 Improvised workbench.

A bench peg is traditionally a piece of hardwood turned on a lathe into a cone. Though this is the preferred shape, there is no reason not to make several pegs in a row, with dowelling of different diameters. They need to stick out about 15mm and be smaller than the bore diameter of the instruments you are working on.

Shaving brush

I have not found any other brush to give the instrument an initial brush down and clean that works better than a shaving brush. The density and stiffness of the bristles are perfect and there is no metallic collar that might scratch the instrument.

Fig. 1.2 Shaving brush.

Screwdrivers

Your choice of screwdriver will be governed by what instruments you will be working on. Different instruments require different sized screwdrivers. The width of the blade needs to match the diameter of the screws you encounter. This is to ensure you do not damage the screw head or the surrounding pillar. The screwdriver blade should be just under the width of the screw head (maybe 0.1 or 0.5mm).

Fig. 1.3 Screwdrivers in three sizes.

Useful blade widths are:

1.95mm for clarinets, oboes and flutes

3mm for saxophones

1.7mm for adjusting screws

The screwdrivers should have long shafts, which will give you better access to screws deep in the keywork. My best screwdrivers have a shaft 150mm long and the handle is another 90mm long (total 240mm) with a 1.95mm and 3mm blade width.

Fig. 1.4 A screwdriver with a long shaft allows you to get to screws deep in the keywork. Notice that I am steadying the tip of the blade with my thumb.

My screwdriver with a 1.7mm tip has a 50mm shaft and 90mm handle. The long shaft allows me to align the screwdriver on the same axis as the screw, even when the key is located well down the instrument’s body.

Fig. 1.5 A 2mm wide blade will only engage with the screw slot if it is perfectly in line with the axle.

Fig. 1.6 It will not engage completely if approached at an angle.

Fig. 1.7 A 1.95mm blade that has a parallel shaft will get very good engagement with the slot even when inside the pillar.

Fig. 1.8 This tapered ground blade will engage, but there is much less contact area in the slot so you risk damaging the hinge screw.

Good screwdrivers of the right width for our industry can be hard to find. Until you have found or made your perfect screwdriver, I suggest you look at the tools used by the electronics industry, as they have screwdrivers with long shafts and 2mm wide blades. You will then need to use a diamond file, grindstone, or grind wheel to make the blade a tiny bit narrower. Figs 1.5 to 1.8 show how the width and shape of the blade affect how well the blade will engage with the slot in the screw as it goes inside the pillar.

I recommend that you have a shallow domed swivel end to the handle; this allows you to push hard against the screw head at the same time as rotating the blade easily. If you don’t have a swivel handle, try to retrofit one.

Other factors that affect a screwdriver are the diameter of the handle (this changes the leverage you can apply and speed at which you can spin the screwdriver), the quality of steel used and the tempering it is given.

You can make your own screwdriver, from silver steel, or high-speed steel (HSS) drill stock.

Fig. 1.9 The tip of one of my favourite screwdrivers.

Many screwdrivers offered for sale by specialist suppliers are susceptible to chipping on old and stuck screws. I have been very happy with the straight tapered wedge shape of the Kraus screwdrivers (Kraus tools are no longer available to purchase new, but it is worth seeking out second-hand Kraus tools as there are currently no manufacturers making specialist tools of this quality). The shaft of these screwdrivers is 4mm in diameter, and 5mm from the end, the diameter reduces to the blade width (Fig. 1.9). This gives the blade extra stiffness that significantly reduces the torsional and longitudinal flex.

Spring hooks

My two favourite spring hooks have a groove on the top end of the shaft; this makes it easier to manipulate the spring in difficult-to-access spaces.

Fig. 1.10 My two favourite spring hooks: one made by Music Medic (top); the other I made myself.

Fig. 1.11 At the end of the spring hook (left) is a groove that can engage with a spring (right). This allows you to push the spring through narrow gaps.

Fig. 1.12 I was sent this spring hook by Pearl Flutes many years ago. It is made from a large sewing needle with the eye heated, bent into a hook and the eye opened up to create the pushing slot. The needle is then held in a pin vice.

I recommend you make your own very narrow hook and pusher for working on clarinets and oboes. You need to be able to remove the hook from between the spring and the hinge tube when the gap is very narrow. The spring hook will need to be made from carbon steel, correctly hardened and tempered.

Pliers

Pliers are good for manipulating or bending keys when on the instrument. I have two or three sizes and styles of these, ranging from 30mm-long blades of 6mm width to 50mm long by 8mm wide. The blade thickness is very narrow, which is an important design feature.

Fig. 1.13 Smooth jaw duckbill pliers.

Fig. 1.14 Maun parallel-action pliers.

Fig. 1.15 This is the Knipex parallel acting pliers; model 86 03 150, modified by Music Medic.

Fig. 1.16 This snipe-nosed variant of the parallel-action pliers (the smooth jaws narrow to a point) is excellent for holding key arms.

The jaws on these pliers must be smooth; this prevents unnecessary damage to the surface you are holding. Parallel pliers should be the only pliers you use to grip hinge screws when removing keywork. They are useful for key bending and straightening. There are two types that I use: Maun Industries make the original and, in my opinion, best. I have two sizes: 140mm and 180mm (Fig. 1.14).

You can modify off-the-shelf pliers with a belt grinder.

Brushes

I have acquired a number of brushes over the years for cleaning out tone holes and small tubes.

Fig. 1.17 Tone hole cleaning brushes.

All-purpose materials

Removable putty (Blu Tack)

This is a common material in the UK, but not so common in other countries. It is a soft putty that is designed to attach posters or pictures to walls and other hard surfaces. It acts as an adhesive but doesn’t leave a residue when removed. I use it to temporarily seal tone holes when testing for leaks. I knead it for a while before pressing it over the hole. It leaves a clean surface.

Fig. 1.18 Blu Tack other brands are available, e.g. Poster Putty, Power Tack, Sticky Tack.

Cork

The choice of dimension of cork to purchase depends on the instruments you are going to work on. In general, you will need wafer cork, and 1mm, 1.2mm, 1.4mm, 1.6mm sheet cork. The standard sheet size is 150 × 200mm. Bassoon repairers should try and get hold of the larger 12 × 4in size of sheet cork as you need the extra length to use on the bottom tenon joints.

Fig. 1.19 Using a wine cork as a source of cork.

Fig. 1.20 Cork wafers. This wafer-thin cork is one form of cork that still works when old. It is used under adjusting screws to reduce metal to metal clicking noises.

Fig. 1.21 Keep your natural cork in an airtight container.

Fig. 1.22 Composite cork sheet.

Fig. 1.23 A piece of thick felt like this can be cut to shape to make bumpers for saxophones.

Sometimes you may need thicker pieces of cork (for flute keys or E♭ key on a bassoon, for example), so why not use the cork from a freshly opened bottle of wine?

The two important qualities that cork should have are to be supple and flexible and to be free from knots and blemishes. I will reject cork from the supplier if it snaps when a sheet is bent to 90 degrees, or if there is little usable cork on a sheet. Set aside sheets that are blemish-free or extra supple for use on tenon corks. The other sheets can be used for heel corks. I try not to buy more than six months’ supply at a time and I always keep the cork in a sealed plastic bag inside an airtight box (like a food storage box). This slows down the drying out process and keeps the cork in good condition.

Composite cork is a mixture of natural cork and rubber; it is firmer than natural cork and can be useful for regulation corks. The very thin (less than 0.8mm) sheet can be used under flute and oboe adjusting screws. It will not dent and deform like natural cork will.

Synthetic cork has no natural cork in it and I personally don’t like the feel or texture of it; nor can I see any inherent or environmental benefit in it.

Felt

Felt can be cut to shape to make bumpers for saxophones. The piano industry uses a lot of felt and can be a good source, as can old felt hats.

Key oil

Key oil is used on the point screws and hinge screws of an instrument to enable the player to perform fast passages with ease and with as little mechanical noise from the keywork as possible. The oil you choose also reduces friction between two rubbing surfaces and acts as a buffer between the metal parts to reduce the metal-to-metal noise made when a key is open or shut quickly. There is a balance to be made between these two functions: a thick or viscous oil will reduce the noise of keywork but can significantly slow down the action or speed of key operation; a very thin oil will lubricate well but the keywork will be noisy. To achieve the correct balance, invest in a selection of oils with different viscosities. The oils supplied by Yamaha are synthetic oils. They are chemically engineered to be uniform in viscosity and do not evaporate to leave a varnish or sludge that clogs the mechanism. Household and some car engine oils are made from a mixture of different oils with additives that might cause some problems after a period of time. The Yamaha oils I use are supplied as light oil for oboes and flutes, medium for clarinets and heavy for saxophones and bassoons.

Fig. 1.24 Yamaha key oil is available in light, medium or heavy grades.

Fig. 1.25 Ballistol oil, for long-term lubrication.

Ballistol oil is an excellent penetrating oil to free stuck screws. It is a mixture of very volatile penetrating oils and some thicker fatty oils that get drawn into the mechanism and help long-term lubrication. The all-natural ingredients also work very well for cleaning and nourishing the body of instruments. I do not, however, use it as an oil for regular keywork.

A basic check-over and service of an instrument

Let’s get to work by checking over and servicing an instrument. In our workshop, Wood, Wind & Reed, the word ‘service’ is used in the same way it is used for a car service – it is the routine checking of an instrument with no known faults other than general wear and tear. Servicing also applies to the checking of brand-new instruments.

We are going to dismantle, clean, oil, re-assemble and check the instrument. Anything that is found to be damaged will be recorded and dealt with separately. This is not a comprehensive or full overhaul; nor is it the repair of a broken instrument.

How to remove the keys

I recommend brushing down the instrument with the shaving brush to remove dust and debris before taking the keys off to get a closer look. You need a suitable screwdriver (one that will fit in the screw slots of the instrument), spring hook and parallel-action pliers.

The order in which you take the keys off the instrument is not particularly important. As long as you don’t have to apply force to remove a key, you are unlikely to do any irreversible damage. At this stage we are getting familiar with handling the tools and starting to learn where everything is situated and what function it has. If you’re unsure whether you will remember the order, or might be interrupted during the process, photograph the instrument as you take it apart.

Fig. 1.26 Here the spring hook is manipulating a spring under the F key (C18) on a clarinet.

Fig. 1.27 Make yourself comfortable at the bench with everything at the right height.

Taking the keys off involves unhooking the springs (Fig. 1.26) and removing the screws. There are two types of screws: pivot screws and hinge screws. They are not necessarily interchangeable, so return the screws into the pillars as they come out.

In the next chapter you will find photographs of the instruments with the keys numbered in the order in which you will re-assemble the instrument. You can use it as a template for the disassembly if you like. The instruments I have used as examples are made by Yamaha, and there may be differences in the mechanisms of other makes and models.

The first stage is to unhitch as many springs as you can, using your spring hook to push or pull the spring off the spring hitch. Don’t worry if some are inaccessible.

Before starting to take the keys off, test how you are going to hold and support the instrument. When working on clarinets I like to support one end of the instrument on a bench peg: on other instruments you might use your lap, or an instrument holder. You will need to be able to hold the screwdriver with the end of the handle in the palm of your hand so you can apply pressure to the screw. The blade is fitted into the screw slot; steady the tip of the blade with a finger or thumb to provide accurate engagement. You will be unscrewing in an anticlockwise direction. Once the screw starts to move, ease off the pressure, but keep unscrewing until you hear or feel a slight clicking sound to indicate that the screw is fully released. The next task is to decide which screw to remove.

Fig. 1.28 The top two ring keys of a clarinet.

Fig. 1.29 Diagram of the top two ring keys, an example of a composite key axle.

You will need to work out which pivot screw or hinge screw needs to be undone to release the key you want to remove. In most cases, it is fairly easy to work out which screw to undo, but on some clusters of keys it is not so obvious, for example, the two ring keys on the top joint of a clarinet (Fig. 1.28). The first ring key, C3 (seepage 23), rotates on a hinge screw. The hinge screw has a point at the end that is one of a pair of pivots that holds the second ring key C4. To take the second ring key off, you unscrew the hinge screw on the right and the point screw on the left. To take the first ring key off you have to unscrew and remove the hinge screw on the right (the second ring key will become loose as well).

Sometimes a hinge screw will have a point on the end of it; this point is used as a pivot for the next key in the stack, as you can see in the diagram of a composite key axle (Fig. 1.29).

Once the screw has been unscrewed, you withdraw the screws with your fingers or smooth jaw parallel-acting pliers. They are the only sort of pliers you should use for this task as they grip the rod properly and without damaging the screw.

Store the screws in a safe place. I personally like to keep the pivot screws in the pillar they come out of and the hinge screws in the keys they belong to. Put the keys aside until later.

Fig. 1.30 Use smooth jaw parallel-action pliers to remove the long screws.

Fig. 1.31 Scissor action pliers do not grip round objects very well and can cause damage.

Initial cleaning

Once all the keys are off, we can clean the instrument. Brush down the body of the instrument with a shaving brush and clean off old oil in the hinge tubes with pipe cleaners. A little, fresh, thin, oil on the pipe cleaner can help with this. There are special aggressive pipe cleaners with plastic or brass wire wound into the softer cotton for stubborn grease. I use cocktail sticks to clean out point screw holes.

Fig. 1.32 This cross section of a clarinet shows dirty tone holes.

Although the musician will usually swab the instrument after playing, the process can leave dust and dirt deposits to accumulate in the bottom of the tone holes. Clean the tone holes out with a small brush, such as a trumpet mouthpiece brush, or wet cotton bud. Pay attention to the undercut part of the tone hole. The photograph of the cross section of a clarinet shows fluff evenly lining the tone hole. The rough surface will change the way air vibrations will behave in the tube; this is called the impedance of the hole. The profile of the edges of the tone hole also affects the airway’s impedance and is used by makers to subtly change the instrument’s sound.

Many people like their instruments to look shiny and new after a repair. This is a time-consuming and therefore expensive process. Comprehensive polishing can only be done as part of a full overhaul. The appearance of keywork can be improved by rubbing with a cloth impregnated with silver polish, or by strapping with a strip of cloth and a small amount of polishing cream.

Leak testing

Testing an instrument for unwanted air leaks is an important part of instrument repair. For clarinets, flutes, oboes and bassoons, you test the integrity using feeler gauges and a vacuum test. For saxophones you use feeler gauges and a leak light test. These processes are described below.

(If, at this early stage of learning to repair you find you cannot get the instrument airtight, I suggest you choose another instrument to work on, one that is in better condition. This first section of the book is to familiarize yourself with the parts of the instrument and to practise using the tools, not to find and repair faults.)

The vacuum test

The first step is to check that the body tube can be made airtight. Seal all the tone holes and finger holes with Blu Tack or similar, then block the bore at one end of the joint and draw a vacuum on the other end by sucking the air out of the tube. It should quickly become difficult to pull any more air out of the tube. At this point, stop pulling the vacuum and keep the end sealed with your tongue or lip and wait for the pressure inside to rise again and for the vacuum to collapse. If it is airtight, it will maintain the hard vacuum for some ten seconds or more. If the vacuum collapses within three seconds, you need to check your Blu Tack seals properly before trying again. If the Blu Tack is sealing correctly and the vacuum still collapses, the instrument may be leaking air from defects in the body itself; if this happens, I would strongly recommend you choose a different instrument to work with while you are still learning.

Fig. 1.33 With all the keys off the instrument, seal each tone hole with Blu Tack.

Fig. 1.34 The air is being sucked out of the tube.

To complete the tests below, you need to have a joint that is airtight. For now, I will assume the body is airtight and you should leave the Blu Tack in place.

Test that each pad is sealing its tone hole

Starting with an airtight tube, and with Blu Tack still covering all the holes, remove the Blu Tack from one tone hole and add the key that closes that particular tone hole. Now perform the vacuum test again. The tube should be just as airtight as before. To get an accurate assessment, you will need to develop a gentle touch and only apply a very light pressure to the key when you press it; you can force a key to seal by pushing too hard on it. If the key passes the test, take the key off and re-block the tone hole with Blu Tack. Remove the Blu Tack from another hole, fit the appropriate key and test this one. Repeat for each key until they have all been tested.

When a key does not make the tube airtight, keep the faulty key off the instrument and block the tone hole up with Blu Tack and move on to the next key. How to replace a pad will be explained in Chapter 12. (If you need to get the instrument working straight away, seeChapter 4: Emergency Fixes.) If you have time, try to find out where the pad is leaking from; the fault might be that the pad is not touching all the way around the tone hole, there might be minute holes in the surface of the pad, or you may discover a chip or crack in the tone hole rim (the bed plate). Checking these details will help you develop a library of possible faults when checking instruments in the future.

Saxophone leak-light test to check pad sealing

There is no sensible way to check for leaks in a saxophone using air pressure, so you will need to assemble the instrument, bit by bit, testing each pad as they get put on. To help find significant leaks in saxophone padding, the best solution I have found is to use a leak-light. Putting a long, thin light down the body of a saxophone means you can see any light escaping around the pads when you close them.

Fig. 1.35 The leak-light is the quickest way to check if a saxophone pad is sealing.

Fig. 1.36 A good spring hook makes putting springs in place easier.

Be warned, however: just because a pad passes the leak-light test does not necessarily mean the pad is sealing well. A leak-light only shows up serious leaks and can give false-positive results. A leak light will not detect all pad leaks because leather can be stretched over the edge of a tone hole rim without any support from the felt behind it. As soon as a vibration is set up within the instrument the unsupported leather starts to flap around and create a leak. I therefore suggest you always make a final check around the pad with a feeler gauge. This is described in detail in Chapter 12.

Reassembling the instrument

With the body and keywork all cleaned and checked, you can now put everything back together. The next chapter covers the order of assembly for each instrument. Remember to put a drop of oil in the cone of each pivot screw and into the end of each hinge tube to keep the bearing surfaces well lubricated and quiet.

Some springs will need to be hitched on during the assembly process.

Checking the assembled instrument

You might have been working on a scrap instrument, in which case, you will have found lots of problems and the instrument still won’t be working! But you will have learned more about the instrument, which is good.

If you have been working on an instrument that was in good condition when you started then the instrument should still be in good condition, if not better.

To check the condition of the assembled instrument, we need to test if it is well regulated. A well-regulated instrument is one that can play every note readily and clearly. In its simplest form, you play the instrument from top to bottom with every key combination, and if it plays readily and without interruption or hesitation, it is well regulated. If you are not a musician, or not a confident musician, then you can use a mechanical method of testing described in brief here.

Regulation is the word we use to describe the process of adjusting the relationship between the various connected keys and the body of an instrument. This includes making keys work in unison and setting the vent height of the keys. We will be covering regulation in depth later, but for now we will look to see that the pads are all the same height above the tone hole rim; they should all look about the same. Next, find the keys that are linked together (ones where when you push down one key, it also moves another key). If they are working correctly, the pads should arrive at their corresponding tone holes at the same time. See if you can confirm if they are, using a feeler gauge. Don’t worry if the keys don’t start moving simultaneously: there are some situations when it is important that they don’t start moving together but only that they arrive together.

The instrument should now be working again and be in a better condition than when you started.

CHAPTER 2

Order of Assembly

The following chapter is a series of reference photographs of different woodwind instruments. I have numbered each key in the order that you will typically assemble the instrument. There will be exceptions to the order unless you are working on the specific model in the picture. In this book I will refer to keys by the number assigned in the pages below. I may also include the common key name as well where it is helpful to do so.

Legend

• LH – left hand

• RH – right hand

• Capital letter note name indicates low register; lower case letter indicates upper register

• Sharp used in preference to flat except where common usage dictates otherwise

• ‘Touch key’ indicates where finger is in contact with a key

• ‘Pad key’ indicates a non-finger closure

• Pitch or letter name alone indicates a direct closure or hole

Clarinet: Yamaha YCL650

Fig. 2.1 Clarinet (YCL650) top joint assembly order. Key numbers are prefixed with C.

Top joint

C1: LH Eb/bb

C2: C#/g#

C3: F#/b

C4: D/a

C5: Throat A

C6: Throat G#

C7: Alternate B/throat A–B trill

C8: Alternate Bb/c–d trill

C9: Alternate F#

C10: RH Eb/bb

C11: Thumb F/c

C12: Thumb Bb/register key

Fig. 2.2 Clarinet (YCL650) bottom joint assembly order. Key numbers are prefixed with C.

Bottom joint

C13: LH F/c

C14: RH F#/c#

C15: RH E/b

C16: Alternate B/f#

C17: Bb/f, also ring keys alternate fingering Eb/bb touch key

C18: RH F/c

C19: G#/d#

C20: LH F#/c#

C21: LH E/b

Flute: Yamaha YFL312

Fig. 2.3 Flute (YFL312) assembly order. Key numbers are prefixed by F.

F1: G#

F2: C–D trill middle register

F3: c–d trill upper register

F4: Correspondence F#

F5: F/alternate Bb

F6: E

F7: F# touch key

F8: G

F9: Correspondence (split) G

F10: C

F11: A

F12: Correspondence A and alternate Bb pad key

F13: Thumb B

F14: Thumb Bb

F15: Low C

F16: Low C#

F17: D#

Saxophone: Yamaha YAS480

Fig. 2.4 Saxophone (YAS480) assembly order. Key numbers are prefixed with S.

S1: Correspondence F#

S2: F

S3: E

S4: D

S5: Low C# pad key

S6: Low C# touch key

S7: Low B

S8: Low Bb

S9: G# pad key

S10: G# touch key

S11: Side Bb

S12: Chromatic/fork F#

S13: Side C

S14: F# pad key

S15: Bis Bb (also known as 1 & 1 Bb linkage)

S16: Side C pad key

S17: Side Bb pad key

S18: Correspondence C pad key

S19: B

S20: A

S21: e

S22: f# pad key

S23: Automatic octave key mechanism

S24: f# pad key

S25: Eb/D#

S26: Low C

S27: Palm d

S28: Palm f

S29: Palm eb

S30: Thumb octave key

S31: Front/fork F (E)

S32: Crook octave key

Oboe: Yamaha YOB241

Fig. 2.5 Oboe (YOB241) assembly order. Key numbers are prefixed with O.

Fig. 2.6 Oboe (YOB241) key 32, the bell key.

O1: G#

O2: B–C# trill vent

O3: C–D trill vent

O4: RH G#

O5: G

O6: Correspondence Bb

O7: A

O8: Correspondence B

O9: C

O10: Conservatoire bar/link arm

O11: Thumb-plate/B

O12: Lower octave key vent

O13: Side/upper octave key

O14: Lower octave (also known as ‘back octave’) touch piece

O15: LH B–C# trill touch key

O16: C–D trill linkage arm

O17: RH F

O18: C–D trill touch key

O19: F#/conservatoire Bb & C touch key

O20: Correspondence E & fork F

O21: E

O22: D

O23: Low B

O24: Low C

O25: C#

O26: D#/Eb

O27: Fork F vent

O28: Fork F vent rocker arm

O29: D# vent key

O30: Low Bb linkage

O31: Feather keys, includes LH D#/Eb, low B touch key, low Bb touch key

O32: Low Bb pad key

Bassoon: Yamaha YFG812

Fig. 2.7 Bassoon (YFG812) wing joint back assembly order. Key numbers are prefixed with B.

Wing joint back

B1: Crook key lock

B2: Link keys from c touch key and c# touch key, both to LH 3rd finger ring

B3: Vent key for c

B4: Crook touch key/F touch key

B5: Crook key/F touch key

B6: d touch key/flick key

B7: c touch key/flick key

B8: a touch key/flick key

B9: C# pad key

B10: Crook key linkage key

Wing joint front

Fig. 2.8 Bassoon (YFG812) wing joint front assembly order.

B11: E–F# trill/eb

B12: D–Eb trill

B13: C ring touch key/3rd finger ring

Bassoon boot joint

Fig. 2.9 Bassoon (YFG812) boot joint front assembly order.

B14: Low F touch key/g vent touch key

B15: F#

B16: G#

B17: RH alternate (front) Bb

B18: G touch key

B19: A ring/g vent

B20: Low F pad key

B21: C–C# trill

Boot joint back

Fig. 2.10 Bassoon (YFG812) boot joint back assembly order.

B21a: Alternate (front) Bb key connecting pin

B22: Bb pad key

B23: Bb touch key

B24: Thumb F# touch key

B25: F# linkage key rocker arm to close low F pad key

B25a: Thumb F# connecting pin to hold F key

B26: G# touch key

B27: G pad key

B27a: G touch key connecting pin to close G key

B28: G# key rocker arm to open G# pad key

B28a: G key connecting pin

B29: ‘Pancake’ low E

Long joint

Fig. 2.11 Bassoon (YFG812) long joint assembly order.

B30: Low C key

B31: Low D touch key

B32: Low D pad key

B33: Low C# touch key

B34: Low Eb

B35: Low C# pad key

B36: Low B touch key

B37: Low Bb touch key

B38: Low B pad key

Bassoon bell

Fig. 2.12 Bassoon (YFG812) bell joint assembly order.

B39: Low Bb pad key

CHAPTER 3

Initial Diagnosis – Observations and Tests

Before undertaking repairs, we need to know how to test an instrument and determine what, if anything, is wrong, or could be better. It may sound obvious, but you cannot fix something if you don’t know what could be better, and likewise, you don’t know if you have fixed it if you don’t know how to test it.

You also can’t see what might be wrong if you don’t know how it is supposed to function in the first place. So we’ll start by briefly looking at how woodwind instruments work and then how to discover why an instrument might not be working as it should.

How woodwind instruments work

Airflow

A woodwind instrument makes a good sound when the air column is resonating inside its tube.

The acoustic length of this resonating tube determines the pitch, or note, that the instrument sounds. By acoustic length we mean the distance between the mouthpiece at one end and the first open tone hole. A change in length is achieved by the use of fingers and keys to open and close the holes along the length of tube. For instance, as the holes are closed down the instrument, the acoustic length increases and the notes get lower.

If the instrument is working and the air column is resonating well, and we introduce a small hole in the tube somewhere along its length between the mouthpiece and the first open tone hole, it can either have an intended beneficial effect – for instance, when a speaker or octave hole is opened – or the hole can cause major disruption to the resonance of the tube and make it squeak, or not sound at all.

Keys

The keys on an instrument are a mechanical means of opening and closing tone holes. They allow the musician’s fingers to cover more holes and over much larger diameters and distances than their fingers can reach unaided. It is therefore important that the keys operate smoothly and correctly at all times and are not bent or damaged. When a key gets damaged in some way, it can stop rotating or moving. This in turn will prevent a pad from sealing or opening a tone hole.

Pads

A pad is an airtight stopper that is attached to a key and closes over a tone hole to make an airtight seal. A pad can fail to seal a tone hole when a key is damaged, or when the pad itself is damaged. To work, the pad must have an airtight membrane that covers the tone hole and is touching the tone hole rim all the way around. If there is any tear damage to the surface of the pad or tone hole rim, it can allow air to pass though it and spoil the resonance of the tube.

In understanding the above, we can see that woodwind technicians are primarily concerned with leaks!

Initial observations and tests

It is possible to categorize two levels at which an instrument might need attention:

1. Emergency level: when there are problems that prevent an instrument from performing its basic functions.

2. Optimization level: when there are less distinctive problems where an instrument has become unreliable, noisy or seems more difficult to play that it used to.

If it is not an emergency, we might be assessing the instrument to work out how much time is needed to complete the repair, or if it is a repair that we can do at all. In these situations, we want to use tests that can be done without taking the instrument apart. This might include a vacuum test, leak-light test, looking at how much cleaning is needed and checking if the corks and pads are in good condition. The instrument might be bent or damaged, in which case we must assess if it is economical to repair and just how much structural damage has been done.

It is only when we start taking the instrument apart that a full inspection, test, and diagnosis can take place.

Observations

Musician’s observations

For a musician to have brought the instrument to you, they have reason to think something is wrong, so we need to listen to them. What are they experiencing? Why do they think something is wrong? What are the symptoms? Did a teacher advise them to come, and if so, have they remembered the right message? Are they a professional struggling to perform a specific passage of music? You can start by quizzing them on what has stopped working for them.

Comparing instruments

We can assume that something has changed on the instrument, but we don’t know what it was like before they came to see us. This is why we need to gain experience from looking and handling good instruments. In that way we have an idea of what the instrument should be like, then match that to what we see on the broken instrument in front of us.

Repairer’s observations

With the instrument in our hands, we can look for obvious damage such as missing, torn, or damaged pads, bent keywork or dents in the body. The aim of these observations is to identify what is preventing the pads from sealing a tone hole or to see if two connected keys are not operating in unison when they should.

• Inspect the surface of every pad for any that are missing, or any with holes, tears or missing membrane.

• Operate each key in sequence and feel if they are moving smoothly. Look out for: any key rubbing against another; any key that is slow to respond or fails to snap back into position; any bend in a key that is stopping it from closing on the tone hole; and any bent link arm that is spoiling the regulation between the keys.

• On a metal instrument you can look down the length of the instrument to see if a should-be-straight tube is curved. If it is bent, then it might explain the faults you might find in the next test.

Bends and twists will need to be repaired first. Very often reversing a bend will bring all the other elements of the instrument back to working condition without many other adjustments being necessary.

Fig. 3.1 Damaged clarinet pad.

Fig. 3.2 This flute is so bent, it is probably not worth repairing.

The pad might not be touching the tone hole rim all the way around or the surface of the pad might be torn or perforated. The needle spring in Fig. 3.1 is pointing to a hole in the pad that is big enough to impact the performance of the instrument. Look at the pad membrane, the area of the pad that seals the tone hole, for any signs of abrasion, cracking or other damage. Any break in the surface will allow air to leak out of the tube.

The problem might be obvious, in which case you can go straight to the mechanical tests, but if it is not immediately clear, then it can often be helpful to ask the musician to demonstrate the problem.

Play testing

The art of play testing an instrument for repair purposes does not come naturally to an experienced musician. The natural tendency for musicians is to always get the best out of the instrument, whatever state it is in. They try to overcome any mechanical difficulties by pressing harder or blowing differently. The job of the repairer is to expose and highlight the mechanical problems that the musician may be overcoming in these ways.

To perform a useful play test, the musician (or repairer) needs to use a steady embouchure and gentle finger pressure on the keywork. Play a chromatic scale from bottom to top and back again over two registers. If a note does not sound, do not coax the note out by pushing harder or changing the embouchure; simply move onto the next note in the scale. If three or more consecutive notes fail to sound, the test can be abandoned.

While the instrument is being played, make a record of where the musician is having a problem. Is it with an alternate fingering for instance? Or is it only one note in a sequence that is not sounding nicely?

When performed well, the play test will reveal significant problems, and if undertaken sensitively, will often show up the pads that are not airtight, or the key combinations that are not working well. It is unlikely to pinpoint where the failure actually is. For instance, problems in playing low notes can often be caused by damage at the top of the instrument. It is impossible to cover playing techniques within the scope of this book, but it is something worth studying in order to become a good repairer.

Mechanical testing

Leak testing

Another test that most repairers will perform is to block all the holes in the instrument and gently blow air into, or suck air out of, the tube. If done sensitively it will show up if there is a leak somewhere in the tube. (This test cannot be performed on a saxophone.)

Vacuum test

Each repairer finds their own way of testing instruments for leaks. Most use a variation on this technique; All the holes are blocked and then a gentle air pressure or suction is applied to the end of the tube. You have to learn how to interpret the drift of air in or out of the instrument body. This technique can even detect if you have rough fingertips or fingerprints! I usually wet my fingertips before performing this test so that no air leaks from the finger holes.

Fig. 3.3 Vacuum testing a clarinet top joint.

Leak light test

When working on saxophones you can put a bright light inside the bore of an instrument and then close the pads and look carefully for any light escaping around the rim of the tone holes.

Fig. 3.4 Inserting an LED leak light into a saxophone.

Feeler gauge test

Often there is no significant mechanical wear or damage, and the pads pass the first visual inspection, so we now perform a ‘feeler gauge’ test (or a ‘grip test’). In my view, the ability to accurately perform a grip test with a feeler gauge is one of the most valuable skills a good repairer can possess. All the repairers I have met around the world use a feeler gauge. It is a surprisingly difficult skill to acquire, and some of the students I have taught take a year or more to understand the feedback the test gives and develop the skills required to adjust the pad and seat it correctly.

Fig. 3.5 Using a feeler gauge to test the seating of a flute pad.

For each key, lift the pad from the tone hole and position the tip of the feeler gauge in the middle of the tone hole. Now close the pad onto the feeler gauge, either under its own spring or with gentle finger pressure. Then slowly pull the feeler gauge out from under the pad, paying attention to how hard (or not) it is to withdraw it. The aim is to test each pad at four or more points around the circumference to see if the feeler is gripped equally at each position. If there is a point anywhere around the pad where there is less resistance or friction on the feeler gauge, this suggests the pad may allow air to escape or leak.

Regulation test