Klarinet Archive - Posting 000717.txt from 1998/06

From: Lee Hickling <hickling@-----.Net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Vibrato on bass
Date: Sun, 21 Jun 1998 22:18:41 -0400

Stuart, you asked,

>...... my teacher said "please no vibrato on the bass...
>vibrato is never never used on clarinet and any professional would laugh at
>you if you did". Is this true?

I wouldn't say any professional would laugh. Raise an eyebrow, maybe. I
don't use it as a player, and don't teach it. But if you want an opinion
from a real expert, go to the Clarinet Pages at sneezy.org and click on
Sherman Friedland's Corner. One of the articles there is about vibrato. Mr.
Friedland sounds to me a little ambivalent on the subject. He says most
orchestral players don't use it - but Reginald Kell did, and he sounded
great. (I paraphrase - you should read it for yourself.)

On the whole, I agree with Mr. Friedland's conclusion that the rich, warm,
full sound of a well-played clarinet doesn't need the embellishment of
vibrato. He also says that it's better not to mess around with vibrato
until you're producing a good clarinet sound. Then ... maybe, but don't
overdo it.

By the way, switching from sax to clarinet, as you said you've done, is a
lot harder than switching the other way around. Maybe the use of vibrato,
which comes so naturally on saxophone, is part of the reason. Most
teachers, including me, like to have students get in a year at least on
clarinet even if the sax is their main objective. The embouchure is better
formed that way, and most of them get a better sound on the sax when they
take it up.

Lee Hickling <hickling@-----.net>

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