Klarinet Archive - Posting 000681.txt from 2002/07

From: Roger Shilcock <roger.shilcock@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Conservative Clarinet Ensemble Ranges?
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 08:10:41 -0400

... And the slur that a nerd is a clarinettist who owns his/her own alto doesn't
help. I suspect very little design attention has been paid to the alto clarinet,
too.
As regards the lower, the easier the higher, it all depends. An earlier wooden
manifestation of the Selmer contra-alto lacked the LH first finger half-hole
facility, so that one was virtually barred from playing in the altissimo
register.
Roger S.

In message <000e01c23238$777244d0$35021586@-----.org writes:
> << And I must say, that E above the staff on alto clarinet is usually one of
> the sickest sounds to come from an instrument, even for an above average
> player on a good instrument that is in good repair. Altissimo notes in
> general on the alto clarinet give me an idea of what it would sound like to
> put live cats in a blender. >>
>
> Surely part of the problem here is that, even when the player and instrument
> are above average, the player probably hasn't taken the time to get used to
> the instrument properly? As a general rule the alto clarinet isn't used
> much other than as a "filler" voice in ensembles, so there's not much
> inspiration to really practise on it. Like all members of the clarinet
> family, it must need time and care spent on it to produce a really good
> sound. There's probably an opening here for an enterprising
> player-composer...
>
> Oh, and for Bear - my understanding (based on reading and past experience
> with bass clarinet) is that it gets *easier* to produce altissimo notes the
> lower down the clarinet family you go. No?
>
> -- Joe
>
>
>
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--
There's more than one way to skin a cat.
------- Anonymous, traditional, etc.

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