Klarinet Archive - Posting 000363.txt from 2004/06

From: Joseph Wakeling <joseph.wakeling@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Several Queries
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2004 20:16:01 -0400

Robert Wood wrote:

> • I am writing music for beginning instrumentalists - of any age,
> returnees with fully formed adult musical tastes. For the Clarinet I
> want to write around the idea of easy fingering patterns

OK. Well, the best advice is probably: the simpler the key, the simpler
the music.

The *really* simple music is that which uses only natural notes, or F#
or Bb. This is because for this stuff you only ever have to worry about
putting down fingers on holes, or little finger keys. For other sharps
or flats you have to factor in the issue of pressing extra keys to open
or close extra holes. This in itself isn't necessarily difficult but
the transitions between some notes can be more difficult because they
involve simultaneously releasing some keys and closing others in
patterns which can be quite tricky.

.... But .... don't take any of this too seriously. In fact I'm
inclined to think that maybe I should rephrase my "best advice" as
follows: if it looks simple, it probably is simple.

> How prevalent is the use of the A Clarinet by beginners?

Very rare. However, if you're writing for a solo instrument you don't
need to take this into account; the student can play on whatever
instrument they have. Only if you are writing an accompaniment should
you worry about the key of the clarinet. In this case probably the best
idea is to provide two accompaniments, one for a Bb instrument, one for
a C (concert pitch) instrument. The C clarinet is also rare but since
it is smaller, some like to start beginners with it (N.B. this wouldn't
apply to adult beginners).

> All the sharp keys would, I think, be much more easily fingerable?

I would repeat my above advice: the simpler the key, the simpler it is
to play. *But* this applies strictly to the *written* (i.e. transposed)
key, not the concert pitch.

For example, if you're writing in the concert pitch of E major, this is
much easier to play on the A clarinet where, transposed, it is written
in G major, than it is on the Bb clarinet, where the transposed key is
F# major. But by contrast a concert pitch of Eb major is much easier on
the Bb instrument (where, transposed, it is F major) than on the A
instrument (F# major).

Since most beginners only possess a Bb instrument, you should write with
this in mind.

-- Joe

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