Klarinet Archive - Posting 000546.txt from 1996/08

From: "Joie Canada , Jcanada713@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Pruefer?
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 11:03:35 -0400

Ah, but a SILVER one--in good playing condition? Believe me, if you grew up
playing one and don't appreciate lightning transpositions from extreme flat
keys you would kill for a good Db instrument for the band. Over half the old
marches in our library don't even have C parts except oboe and they all have
Db parts--I know this is a clarinet list but I double on piccolo for some of
the marches and old overtures (where there are often bassoon-piccolo passages
that are in unison two octaves or three apart, like in Ravel's Bolero)
without a piccolo they sound weird and the flutes these days didn't grow up
transposing. I did and can play from the C part if there is one but some
things, like the Circus Bee March are hell on the clarinet and duck soup on a
Db piccolo--if it's a good one. Old beat up school instruments are not very
good and piccolos are touchy as Eb clarinets for intonation. Not to get
technical but the little beasts come in a number of different bore
configurations and slight differences in fingering for some of the upper
register notes to get them in tune.

I have one of those C soprano saxes too, and it's great for busking with
accordian, guitar etc for folk music. There are reasons of ease as well as
tone color for some instruments being in different keys and I'm not one to
take the hard path when there is an easy one available (I don't climb
mountains either)
If you've ever tried to improvise on a Bb instrument with a guitar player who
is noodling in the key of E you will know what I mean.

Happy Yard-Sale-ing!

Joie