Klarinet Archive - Posting 000162.txt from 1998/07

From: <CmdrHerel@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Switching to Eb
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 12:37:37 -0400

In a message dated 98-07-07 12:19:16 EDT, ape@-----.net writes:

<< I will be attending a music camp in one week and they have asked that once
I
get there, I play the Eb clarinet part. I have never played an Eb clarinet
before. Can anyone give me some tips? Are there some major problems that I
am likely to encounter in switching over? >>

I found with Eb that the less I tried to compensate, the better it went.

But you might run into some little things:

The keys will be in slightly different positions than you are used to, so at
first you might overshoot some of them. A little practicing will take care of
that.

If your hands are large, you may find that using the sliver keys covers too
much of the holes nearby, making the pitch flat. In that case, you'd have to
use the side keys instead. (My hands are small so I just use the slivers).

The Eb uses a slightly different part of your embouchre than Bb - more to the
center (merely because the mouthpiece is smaller) so you might find that your
embouchre fatigues quickly since it's using slightly different muscles.
Especially if you play double lip.

Also, the altissimo notes may need different fingerings to get them in tune.

And... The Eb uses more air pressure. Don't be timid. :)

Bring a few strengths of reeds with you so you can play around with them and
find what works best on the horn you'll be using. Hopefully it will be
somewhat in tune.

Have fun!
Teri Herel.

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