Klarinet Archive - Posting 000241.txt from 1997/08

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: Several Things (Oh no)
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 05:02:07 -0400

Sarah H.:
Have you tried playing the E flat using a cutdown B flat reed? This is an
idea Jacqueline Eastwood and others had, and it works. A problem with the
E flat is that it hasn't had enough acoustic development work done on it -
probably even less than the bass.
Roger Shilcock

On Wed, 6 Aug 1997, Sarah B. Horney wrote:

> Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 15:21:40 -0500
> From: "Sarah B. Horney" <benevolent1@-----.com>
> Reply-To: klarinet@-----.us
> To: klarinet@-----.us
> Subject: Several Things (Oh no)
>
> Well, I guess controversy follows the politician.
> Regarding the Eb clarinet as a starting point for a young clarinetist: I
> still cannot play the Eb clarinet with the tone I desire. The high
> register is very pretty, and the middle is nice, but when I get to about
> third line Bb, my tone becomes tinny and thin. I am currently working on
> that. A young person should not be worried about tone problems,
> frustrating passages for the Eb written by arrangers who have no idea of
> the nuances of the eefer, or pitch. The Eb clarinet has many of these
> problems, and is not the ideal starting instrument. Waiting another year
> or year and a half to start on the standard horn of the clarinet family
> is, in my opinion, the best way to go in this situation. Also, the
> literature for a beginning Eb clarinetist is very limited, and playing
> the same passages on Bb will lead to band "throat tone" problems and
> frustration for the student and for the teacher. (Not to mention the
> other occupants of the house. One beginning Bb clarinet is bad, but even
> an experienced Eb can get on your nerves.)
> Sorry for the verbose message.
>
> Have fun!
>
> Sarah
> benevolent1@-----.com
>