Klarinet Archive - Posting 000077.txt from 1995/03

From: John Webster <jwebster@-----.UK>
Subj: Eb clarinet
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 06:46:25 -0500

As a not-so-good clarinettist, I ended up buying an Eb and playing it
because it got me doing interesting stuff in Bands and orchestras,
when I probably would have had boring band parts, or not got into the
orchestras.

I have always had the ambition to write an article entitled "The Eb
clarinet - a love-hate relationship".

I enjoy playing the Eb. Being right on top of a chord, or having a
little wicked solo is really good fun.

The thing can be a beast to play, though. Difficult intonation,
particularly up top (which is what everyone expects to hear,
anyway). I was 18 when I bought my first Eb clarinet, and didn't
consult any teachers about it. The increased force I was using to play
the Eb reflected back onto my Bb playing, and I ended up with a solid,
inflexible embouchure. It took a number of years to correct this.

Intonation on my LaFleur Eb was such a problem, that in the end I
decided that I either had to get rid of the thing and give up Eb-ing,
or buy a better instrument. Insanity prevailed and I bought a
second-hand Noblet, which has turned out to be much more fun. One
particular problem with the LaFleur (an Eastern European brand) was
that it was a wide bore, and so I couldn't get other mouthpieces. The
hunt for the "greatest mouthpiece" is part of the fun of clarinetting
- although I haven't taken the plunge for my Noblet yet (I did have a
quick blast on a _lovely_ cut-glass Eb mouthpiece once ...)

There is a good book of Orchestral exerpts for Eb - I can't remember
the name off-hand. This book has lots of useful general advice and
recommended fingerings.

Thank you to everyone on this group - I enjoy reading your postings
every now and then. Unfortunately I seem to spend too much of my time
designing computers nowadays, rather than playing the clarinet. Maybe
that will change one day !

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John Webster ARM Ltd.
Phone 01223 400468 Fulbourn Road
email John.Webster@-----.uk Cherry Hinton
Cambridge CB1 4JN
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