Klarinet Archive - Posting 000819.txt from 1999/06

From: "Karen Harker" <KAREN.HARKER@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] over the break
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1999 17:35:31 -0400

Perhaps it is a "break" to clarinettists because when you first learn to =
play, it is difficult to avoid a break in the sound. Being a newcomer, I =
have had much difficulty smoothly bridging this gap, or break. It is more =
difficult, for me at least, with the clarinet than with either the oboe or =
saxophone to go from all holes open to all holes down.=20

Karen R. Harker
UT Southwestern Medical Library
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75235-9049
214-648-5073
http://www.swmed.edu/library/

>>> Note Staff Unlimited <notestaff@-----.de> 6/28/99 4:26:04 PM >>>

Jack Kissinger schrieb:

> Despite David Glenn's admonitions (and, at the risk of sending innumerabl=
e
> traumatized children, including my daughter, to psychiatric wards ;^) =
), I
> will take a shot at this. I would appreciate it if the acousticians =
among us
> would correct me if I am imprecise or incorrect, particularly in my =
technical
> terminology:
>
> It seems to me there are two ways of describing "break(s)," a technical =
one
> and a practical one. The technical one describes what's happening and =
the
> practical one explains how to make it happen or indicates where it =
happens.
>
> The technical explanation, as far as I can deduce from previous threads, =
is
> that the first break occurs where one shifts from playing fundamental =
tones to
> (first series?) overtones. The practical way it is accomplished is by =
opening
> the register key so that the first overtone sounds. It can also often =
be
> accomplished (sometimes inadvertently ;^( ) by "overblowing." On a =
clarinet,
> the location is between the "throat" Bb' and the clarion (long fingering)=
b'
> (the lowest note in the clarion register of the standard Boehm clarinet).=

>
> On a clarinet, the second break occurs where one shifts from the clarion
> register (first series overtones?) to the beginning of the altissimo =
register
> (third series overtones?) . This is usually defined practically as the =
point
> where one moves from (high) clarion c''' to altissimo c#''' though it is
> possible to play at least down to b'' with "altissimo" fingerings. The
> common practical way to cross this break (i.e., bring out the third(?)
> overone series), is to open the first finger hole of the left hand as =
well as
> the register key. Conceptually, it would seem logical that there are =
higher
> breaks as well. In the altissimo range, we have alternate fingerings =
based on
> higher series (i.e., 5 and above?) overtones. As a practical matter, =
however,
> since they are all in the altissimo range, I suspect most clarinetists =
don't
> think about such "breaks" though they may think about overtone series =
when
> trying to devise an alternate fingering.
>
> It seems to me that the term also applies to the saxophone with the =
first
> practical "break" occuring between open c#'' and (clarion?) d'' (though =
it is
> possible to play Bb', b' and c" as clarion notes). As far as where the =
second
> break occurs, theoretically, it would seem to be between a" and Bb". =
Where is
> it practically? You tell me. Many saxophones now go up to f#''' (and =
some as
> high as g''') without requiring the player to cross the second "break" =
(I
> don't hang out much in that range, though. I am one of those low-lifes =
who
> taught himself to play sax in a couple of hours ;^) and has never gone =
on to
> master those nuances).
>
> Best regards,
> Jack Kissinger
> St. Louis
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=

> To make a long story short, every register change is called a "break".

My problem is with the word. Do singers changing from chest to head tone =
go over a
"break"? (Only if their puber voice is changing...) Does a brass player =
changing
from one overtone to the next go over a "break"? Did you ever hear a =
flautist call
a register change a "break"? Or a violinist going up past the comfortable =
third
position?

So why do we call it ..... "the break" ?? Must be a typically clarinettisti=
c way
of seeing things........

By the way, the saxophone can also play an overblown C# (and should a lot =
more
often - it sounds better!). Between G/G# and A, the octave key changes (in =
all
models I know of from the advent of the automatic double octave key) but =
that is
no register change. The third register can start at F (top line of staff) =
already
(if you're good) by overblowing to the second overtone.

David
David Glenn
notestaff@-----.de=20

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org=20
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org=20
Unsubscribe from the Digest: klarinet-digest-unsubscribe@-----.org=
=20
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org=20
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org=20

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org