Klarinet Archive - Posting 000342.txt from 1997/03

From: Adam Calabrese <adam.calabrese@-----.gov>
Subj: Re: E flat clarinet
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 08:58:05 -0500

At 08:26 AM 3/11/97 -0500, Jeff Berman wrote:
>I am a neophyte e flat wannabe. Does anyone have advice on beginning an e
>flat career from scratch? I am a fairly experienced b flat and a
>clarinetter. Specifically, if I find an instrument, etc, how long does it
>generally take to get up and running to the point where I would be welcomed
>in an ensemble (assuming that I would be welcome anywhere)?

If you are fairly experienced, then you should have no trouble at all. I'm
a B flat soprano player, and I had to play E flat soprano in band and
orchestra in college a bit. The school had an E flat soprano that they gave
me when they handed out the new music, and I was expected to play at the
next rehearsal. It was a novelty, and interesting because it's so small,
and easily discernable above the rest of the ensemble because (a) well, it
plays high frequency notes, (b) it's timbre is much different than normally
heard in orch. or wind ensemble/symph. band pieces, and (c) the only times
it's normally used is when there is an important solo passage.

On the downside, it's an incredible beast to keep in tune. I get shivers
down my spine thinking about it sometimes (and the school even had a good
"name" E flat).

If you're talking about E flat alto, then my previous comments don't
really apply, but having played B flat bass clarinet also, I should expect
that there won't be much of a problem going to the alto clarinet. Actually,
if I remember my limited experience with the E flat alto, the comment about
tuning still applies.

Later,

-Adam Calabrese
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899