Has anyone had the experience of having the middle notes become unplayable without wanting to jump and octave. This happens to me every once in a while after playing for about 20 minutes. Suddenly, middle B and C (using the octave key) will simply not come out without jumping an octave. It seems like it must be something mechanical and yet I`ve gone over and over the clarinet and have found nothing wrong.

What is funny about the whole thing is that the next time I go to practice, it may work just fine.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

i`ve never really had this problem before, but i think it could either be your reed, embouchure, or like you said, just plain clarinet trouble. Sorry if i wasn`t much help...

Well, I don`t have anything too help you, I also have this problem. It happens generally after having played some high notes. Especially when I lower to these notes (ex: i play a G5 and i fall to B4, it takes a second to hear the note clearly) The clarinet I play isn`t in so much good condition...

Personnally, I think it`s because my/our reads are too soft. I think i`ll try harder one soon.

p.s. I just tough that this CAN`T be a mechanical problem because the bottom E3 works fine (same fingering)...

Paul,
Does the problem occur when you play slowly as well? Check the lower pads very carefully. There`s a piece of cork on the rhs lower crows foot that wears thin and so the pad doesn`t close properly.
It could be that you`re putting very slight pressure on the side G# key, near the register key. This happens to me sometimes if I`m tired. You use the register key to go to B and just don`t realise that the left hand has moved too much.
Do a search on Google for `Perone beginning clarinetists` I remember one of his articles gave advice on hand position that helped me a lot.
Good luck,
Steve

I think I found several things that helped me, first, look if your reed is set to high. If this doesn`t change anything, just watch if the junction (is it the word?) between lower and upper is alright, if not, just take a paper and roll it around. If none of this solved your problem, it`s something different than for me, perhaps an embouchure porblem?