Klarinet Archive - Posting 000067.txt from 1994/02

From: Martin Brown <martinb@-----.AU>
Subj: Re: Dan Leeson's question seeking reactions to use of vibrato
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 1994 10:33:24 -0500

To be cynical, I think the reason that relatively few clarinet players
use vibrato is that it's so damn difficult! Compared to a string
instrument where you just wiggle your finger, on a wind instrument you
have to modify the sound production before it gets into the
instrument. To do that without destroying the sound quality is very
difficult.

It's not unlike the glissando. Anybody can pick up a violin and do a
glissando (not musically but the slide is there) but it only comes
after years and years of practice on a clarinet.

The physics of how the glissando and vibrato are produced must be
daunting. Any theories?

IMHO if you like the result and you can do it, then why not use it? I
adore a good selectively used clarinet vibrato. I find the most
pleasing is a very subtle, almost undetectable, slow vibrato on the
key note in a phrase.

^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Martin Brown, Telectronics Pacing Systems
Sydney, Australia
Ph: (612) 413 6973 Email: martinb@-----.au