Klarinet Archive - Posting 000539.txt from 2002/01

From: Myke Cuthbert <cuthbert@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Playing Viola Parts
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 17:03:34 -0500

I mostly meant the C basset cl. as a joke.

Of course, something like this is what I usually do and for tonal
pieces I just play on B-flat [actually, just reading Alto clef, which
I'm used to from Renaissance counterpoint, and xposing]. Works great
for Beethoven, et al. But I was with a violaless group a few months
ago that wanted to do a quick read through of Carter's 3rd quartet,
and couldn't stop thinking about how useful such an instrument
would've been. Esp. for the fast harmonics ("hmm, there's a note head
on the lowest line and a flatted diamond on the second space, so
that's a two-octave touch fourth on low F, sounding top-line treble
clef F, so I play a G...whoops! that was a measure ago already.
schucks!" :-)

MVinquist@-----.com wrote on Jan 19:
>
> You can easily play alto clef parts on a Bb clarinet by reading bass clef
> (and of course moving the key signature two positions sharpward). You're
> still missing the two bottom semitones, but it's workable. I've sat in with
> spur-of-the-moment viola-less string quartets several times.

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