Klarinet Archive - Posting 000714.txt from 2001/11

From: Bear Woodson <bearwoodson@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Intonation, Vibrato and Tone Quality
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 16:23:16 -0500

Hello, Klarinet List.

I'm wondering how clarinetists adjust the Intonation
while playing. It's easy enough on bowed stringed in-
struments to bend the pitch, to make Major Thirds and
Leading Tones a hair sharper, but how is this done on
Clarinet? Since I am a composer, and not a woodwind
player, I don't know how some of these things are
done, that are Common Knowledge to Players. (There
are many things like this, that are never covered in or-
chestration books, so I often get with a dedicatee and
ask a LOT of questions about their instrument.)

I am also curious at to the issue of Vibrato. The Clari-
net has such a rich tone that I think only a slight shimmer
of vibrato is needed occasionally on some of the longer
notes. More than that would be too much for me, and
sometimes to have NO Vibrato on some of the longer
notes seems to sound too empty to me.

I already know that they have big fights about the
Schools of Thought for Tone Quality in Europe, using
thinner or deeper tone quality. But how this works in
the different parts of the USA is another mystery.

I'm interested in these ideas about the Intonation,
Vibrato and Tone Quality, because all this talk of
clarinet lately has given me ideas for a sonata with
piano and a quintet with strings. Hopefully during
the coming holidays, I can get a lot sketched. (I'm
deliberately writing a series of sonatas and concertos
for each orchestral instrument, and since I now have
sonatas for each of the brasses, most of the strings,
flute and bassoon, it's time to look at the clarinet.)

Please advise.

Bear Woodson
Composer, Tucson, Arizona, USA

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