Klarinet Archive - Posting 001064.txt from 2003/03

From: Mark Gresham <mgresham@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] experiments
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 09:25:01 -0500

George Kidder wrote:
> At 09:51 AM 3/23/03, Stan Elias wrote:
>
>> Try putting your clarinet mouthpiece on your trombone. If you can get
>> past the squeak, the low notes make your head vibrate!
>
> This could be important. Are you saying that with the clarinet MP, the
> trombone produces a note an octave below its usual pedal tone?

Peter Shickele used the "tromboon" ("a hybrid -- that's the nice word --
between a bassoon and a trombone") years ago in PDQ Bach music. The
difficulty in performing (because of the shape of the bassoon's bocal,
which replaces the trombone mouthpiece) is that the slide is pointed
backwards and downwards, as is (obviously) the bell of the instrument.
(Contributes to the humor as well.) You could reposition the reed so
that the slide and bell points to the side (or up) but that's even less
physically convenient. I think the range is something like a minor third.

> But let's have the data first. (I don't have a trombone.)

You might as easily try a length of common garden hose instead. This
works with various brass mouthpieces, the "hosophone" being a long-time
favorite toy of horn players. (You can add a funnel on the far end of
the hose if you like.)

--
Mark Gresham, composer
mgresham@-----.com/
Lux Nova Press http://www.luxnova.com/
LNP Retail Webstore http://www.luxnova.com/lnpwebstore/

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