Klarinet Archive - Posting 000335.txt from 1994/02

From: "Michael B. Favreau" <MFAVREA1@-----.BITNET>
Subj: Re: Big A
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 1994 22:44:33 -0500

It's not necessarily the question of whether the Low A on bari improves
tone quality as it is a question of necessity. Composers write for the Low A
on bari and expect it to be there, especially in jazz. You'd be hard pressed to
find a bari without a Low A that play well in tune in all registers (esp. palm
keys) and has good action. The Old Selmers (Mark VI etc.) have notoriously
bad intonation. The newer model Selmers and Yamahas (which are also quite
nice) come with the Low A as standard. Also, the keys that saxophone is usually
required to play in also make the Low A an asset. So, Gerry Mulligan may
be right but, he can afford to be. He doesn't have to sit in a pit or jazz
band and play notes an octave up instead of having them there.

The same applies to the bass clarinet. The reason they go down to
low C and people get them is because composers write for it (just like the
B foot on flute) and you need to play it. In a pit the advantage is the fact
that the Low C matches the Bassoon's lowest Bb.

I think the addition of the length of the A clarinet does adversely
affect tone. If it doesn't then why are the clarion B and C so stuffy?
I can instantly tell just by listening to those two notes whether a person
is playing A or Bb.

Mark VI altos now go for as high as $3200. A far cry (unfortunately)
from $600.

MIchael B. Favreau
Ithaca College