Klarinet Archive - Posting 000674.txt from 1998/07

From: reedman@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Clarinet Bells, Low C bass clarinets
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 23:41:09 -0400

Ed Maurey makes an excellent point about the acoustical advantage of
have a tone hole on the bell. I have thought about this before and have
come up with a ifferent idea which I can not discuss at this point.
However, his point brings up the old contoversy about Low Eb vs. Low C bass
clarinets.

Some players feel that the Low C extension is detrimental to the
sound of the instrument. I have played more bass clarinets than I can count
and my opinion is the sonority is much more consistent on Low C instruments
due to the fact that the B/E is vented farther away from the bell. I am
also of the opinion that the added bore length adds resonance to the
overall instrument.

Some years ago I was in the finals for a bass clarinet position in a
major orchestra in this country. As I walked into the hall to register some
wise guy says "Well, there goes another guy that won't get the job". I
asked him how he could know this and this was his reply.

"Well, so-and-so (principal clarinetist) hates the sound of Low C
bass clarinets. He can hear the difference a mile away. You won't even make
it past the pre-lims!"

At the end of the second round (behind the screen) there were 7
semifinalists. 6 of us had Low C bass clarinets. Wise guy was no. 7 with a
Low Eb.

In the finals it came down to myself and another fellow (who won) and
we both played Low C bass clarinets. Go figure.

Clark W Fobes

Clark W Fobes
Web Page http://www.sneezy.org/clark_fobes

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