Klarinet Archive - Posting 001013.txt from 1997/02

From: Roger Shilcock
Subj: C and D clarinets (fwd)
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 04:30:45 -0500

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1997 16:20:07 -0600
From: Christopher G Zello <czello%CSD.UWM.EDU@-----.UK>
Subject: C and D clarinets

I am wondering if it makes much sense that a C clarinet mouthpiece could
be _smaller_ than an E-flat mouthpiece. . . It seems that would be
"wrong" mechanically and acoustically?

Does anyone know at what point different mouthpieces are needed for
different instruments? Like we can easily play the same mouthpiece for
an A and B-flat clarinet. Arbitrarily, would it be possible for that
same mouthpiece to work on a clarinet in B-natural (Dan L. please
intervene. . .)? Would a B-flat clt mouthpiece not be able to work on an
A-flat clarinet (not the piccolo version, mind you), and therefore would
that same mouthpiece not work on a C clarinet?

Proportionally the dimensions would need to change from instrument to
instrument, bore diameter to bore diameter, but wouldn't there be a point
where the same mouthpieces would work between clarinets a half step
apart? What about E-flat and D clarinets. . .is it possible to play the
same mouthpiece for both while keeping some semblance of intonation which
everyone around you can tolerate. . .

I know that I have a million questions on this. And I'm curious of the
two schools of thought on this: a player's perspective and
technician's/engineer's perspective.

Maybe some symphony players here could explain their successes/failures with
using C clarinets and D clarinets, and those technicians here could
explain the mechanical difficulties this all. . .

Christopher Zello

czello@-----.edu
http://www.stritch.edu/~czello
I have a colleague who recently bought a Noblet C, and simply uses the
mouthpiece it came with (dimensions unknown!) and an ordinary B flat reed
- her intonation is better than on the B flat, if anything. I tried it
out with my normal B flat setup and found the intonation remarkably good.
There were slight problems around chalumeau G-B, but these were easy to
compensate for, and the top register needed some extra attention -
possibly a harder reed would have been a good idea, at least for me.
So apparently the idea that the Noblet C can be be played without any
special mouthpiece etc. seems to be valid - this is supposed to the point
of the design anyway, isn't it?
(I think the sound it makes it quite attractive, too - but probably not
much like the sound of a C as disparaged in most books on the clarinet).
Roger Shilcock