Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 1998/03

From: Nicholas Yuk Sing Yip <nyip@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: alto mpcs
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 1998 03:09:13 -0500

Let alone, that must have been one dam heavy instrument to lug around.
Must have felt sore all over after that.(^_^)
On Sun, 1 Mar 1998, Jennifer
Rose McKenna wrote:

> *cringe*....marching bass clarinets.....my thumb is still recovering....the
> blisters from my neck strap left scars....bad memories
>
> On Fri, 27 Feb 1998 16:04:29 -0600 (CST) Roger Garrett
> <rgarrett@-----.edu> wrote:
> > I have not actually seen a Texas marching contest......only heard about
> > them. On the field, a plastic bass clarinet can add color......but so can
> > a well-played tenor saxophone....in the same basic range. The alto
> > clarinet, on the other hand, is a waste of time on the field regardless of
> > what Texas does. The tone does not carry far enough to help the overall
> > tonal color, and the range is similar to the Alto and Tenor Saxophones as
> > well as the alto horns/mellophones/marching french horns. There simply is
> > no reason to mess with this particular color clarinet.
> >
> > Roger Garrett
> > IWU
> >
> > On Fri, 27 Feb 1998, Matthew Hanson wrote:
> > > You obviously haven't visited a marching contest in East Texas. Not only
> > > do they march alto clarinets, they march with basses as well. This is
> > > very common. Depending on the size of the school or band, I've seen
> > > anywhere from 1 to 14 bass clarinets marched in the East Texas bands.
> > > Most of them still march military. This is actually more impressive than
> > > it may sound. Of course since it is military style, they are usually in
> > > straight lines, or rows. I've been to state marching contest and seen Eb
> > > contras marched due to small tuba section. It worked somehow.
> > > As for the alto mouthpiece, a Selmer C* will work fine, but if on a
> > > student budget stick with the inexpensive Bundy. After all, it is for
> > > marching.
> > > Matthew Hanson
> > > Houston, TX
>
>
>