Klarinet Archive - Posting 001467.txt from 1998/05

From: merlinw@-----.ca
Subj: [kl] clarinet range
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 19:31:40 -0400

On 05/29/98 19:01:03 you wrote:

>I guess you are right about the "no standard" thing. I have never heard of
>separating out the throat tones as a different register, although an
>argument can certainly be made for it. But as far as I am concerned,
>anything above C above the staff, requiring cockeyed fingerings with open
>holes, qualifies as "altissimo." Anything above G# qualifies as "dog
>whistle." (My altitude record (for notes required by the score), in the
>show I just played, was F#.)

The highest note I've seen on scores is an altissimo C as an option on a virtuoso solo. I've seen plenty of G's, several G#'s (on eefer!) and one or two A's and Bb's. The highest note I've actually written on a part to be played by a soloist is an Ab. I would be extremely hesitant about writing anything over an F for sectional playing in a band.

OTOH, many of the bass and alto clarinet parts I see shy away from anything above the throat register, and I think it's an absolute shame. I recently wrote a band arrangement in which I treated the alto clarinet as part of the clarinet section, rather than an instrument for reinforcing octave on the bass line. The required range on the part is from low F# up to E above the staff (written pitches). The alto clarinet player came up to me after the first read-through of the arrangement and thanked me profusely for putting his instrument to good use.

Merlin Williams
merlinw@-----.ca
http://www.netcom.ca/~merlinw
(A member of the Sax Ring!)

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