Klarinet Archive - Posting 000909.txt from 2001/10

From: Josh <eliazor@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Band vs orch eefer range
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 22:41:27 -0500

I also play Eb in band and I can tell you yes the Eb parts the do go up in
the high register.

Cheers

Josh
----- Original Message -----
From: <EClarinet@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] Band vs orch eefer range

> Luby asked:
> <<Your post brings about an interesting topic. While playing through
> American Civil War Fantasy, I had to play a bar going all the way up to
the
> high G on
> the Eb Clarinet. Is this common to find Eb Clarinet parts written so
high?>>
>
> Then Walter replied:
> <<In orchestral music, yes. You see it all the time.
> In band music, no; as the composers/arrangers know that they might be
> dealing with less experienced players there that might not be able to
handle
> that register.>>
>
>
> I just don't know where people get the idea that band eefer parts do not
go
> up as high as orchestral ones. I have played eefer on 3 concerts this
year,
> and every piece I played had at least a high F in it. Two of the pieces
had
> high G's.
>
> I mentioned in my post of 10/16 on this list that it really depended on
whose
> music you were playing; "I think it is our job as clarinetists to know
the
> literature well enough that we can tell the director the difference
between
> real eefer parts, where the composer is using the instrument deliberately
for
> its unique color, and parts where the guy only wrote a part because his
> publisher told him to, and so he just has the eefer double the flutes or
1st
> clarinets."
>
> When the Eb clarinet is written up that high (F and G), the first
clarinets
> almost never are. It's a bit easier to get up there on the eefer than on
Bb,
> but not by much. Usually it's the fingerings that work better, because I
> find that it takes just as much embouchure pressure to play an eefer's
high F
> as it does to play a double Bb on the Bb clarinet, since you are
effectively
> playing the same note. I have seen lots of band parts where the composer
> wanted the clarinet sound up really high, but gave the part to the eefer
to
> play, since the fingerings work out being easier as the notes are down a
4th
> from what they would have to be on Bb clarinet.
>
> Of course, it is never easy to play that high on eefer, and the throat Ab
key
> helps a lot to get those notes above E out, but I find that I am most
> successful when I resist the urge to bite to get those notes, and just
really
> voice them as small as I can. I had to play the Carmen Dragon arrangement
of
> 'America the Beautiful' 5 times this year (!), and you should just check
out
> THAT eefer part! I got a lot of practice voicing up all those crazy
notes!
> :-)
>
> hope this helps......
> Elise Curran
> Orlando, FL
>
>
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>

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