Klarinet Archive - Posting 001166.txt from 1998/10

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Eb problem(s)
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 13:36:35 -0500

Brent--

I play a lot of eepher, so I feel for you. Much of your problem might be
simple stuff--getting used to playing the smaller horn (duh). One of the
things I have noted w/ people who first pick up the Eb is that they tend to
use too much mouthpiece, trying to get the same feel that they get on the
larger horn. You will use less with the small guy--try it. You'll have to
bite less, too.

Another problem is that the altissimo F is simply a bad note (at least on my
Buffet, and on the other horns I have played). So much so that I use the
long F fingering whenever possible.

I *highly* recommend Peter Hadcock's excerpt book of Eb stuff. He's got a
full part for Till written out (no transposing from D) and absolutely the
best chart of fingerings, especially for the little guy! Mr. Hadcock was
renowned as a killer Eb player. Not only did he play all those years with
the Boston Symphony (hardly a chump gig), but as a "kid" played Eb on most
of the famous Eastman Wind Ensemble recordings. He truly had a special
affinity for the instrument; we lost a great resource on his passing.

Regards,

kjf

Brent Eresman wrote:
<<<I have been working on the Eb clarinet a fair amount lately and have
come upon a problem i can't seem to get a handle on. When i play
altissimo F and above (it happens to a lesser extent with E and Eb)
the note will sometimes "shift" on me. That is, when i start the
note the pitch is very low. Within a second or so, i get a shift
which raises the pitch to some semblance of being in tune. If i
start lower and work up to the note (e.g. the final solo in Till E) i
often get the note right away. But if i start on the high note i
invariably have this "shift problem".>>>

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