Klarinet Archive - Posting 000068.txt from 1997/03

From: Barbara Barg <BestPoet@-----.com>
Subj: Stupid Questions
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 00:34:52 -0500

>>I thought you would want to know:

> "3) If you finger a low E, could you use the clarinet as a drinking straw?"
>
> Yes. Drinking straws are used not only to slurp liquid up but also to blow
> bubbles down, as loudly as possible, especially in restaurants, as every
> parent knows. I seem to recall a piece for clarinet in which the player
> inserts the bell in a bucket of water, straw-like, and bubbles away on low
> E. (Did I make that up, or does someone else know about that?)

Yes, there is a piece where the clarinet is supposed to be stuck in a
bucket of water, though several notes are played not just low E's.
Actually, all of the instruments used are stuck in water (hard for the
flute...) It was written by a Middlebury student, though, so I doubt
anyone outside of my basic composition class ever heard it. I've heard
rumors, though, of other pieces...

elizabeth

Just for the record, saxophonist John Zorn has been doing this kind of thing
for about fifteen years, as well as playing his horn percusively with the
keys, or using only the mouthpiece to do various "tricks". I believe he is
one of the pioneers in this area, though I don't know who else was doing it
at the time.

Barg