Klarinet Archive - Posting 000366.txt from 2001/10

From: "Lacy, Edwin" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: And now for some new news/basset horn heaven
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 01:47:05 -0400

From: Daniel Leeson

<<<Now take me through that transposition/range problem again. The alto
clarinet is an instrument in E-flat that descends to either written E or
written E-flat depending on the maker. We need an instrument in F that
descends to low written C. Tell me how the alto clarinet is capable of
doing that? It does not compute on my richterometer.>>>

The alto clarinet playing its lowest note, low Eb, is sounding a Gb on the
first line of the bass clef. The basset horn in F, playing its lowest note,
written C, sounds a perfect fifth lower, that is, the F just below the bass
clef.

In other words, the basset horn with extended range to low C can play one
semi-tone lower than the alto clarinet with extended range to low Eb. (I
just finished teaching the chapter on woodwind transposition in my
orchestration class, so I hope I have that correct!)

Ed Lacy
University of Evansville
EL2@-----.edu

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