Klarinet Archive - Posting 000150.txt from 2006/12

From: "dnleeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Basset horn vs alto clarinet
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 11:51:49 -0500

Ann Satterfield of Florida wrote this interesting piece in which
she claims to have evaluated and contrasted the Selmer 9 alto
clarinet with the Selmer basset horn. But like many earnest
people who want to provide good information, I believe she has to
rethink seriously what it was she did, and what she learned from
the experience.

Playing one example of one instrument (the Selmer 9 alto
clarinet) and contrasting it with two examples of another
instrument (two Selmer basset horns estimated to date from the
1970s) cannot possibly allow any broad conclusions of any type.
It is as if she tested one manufacturer's balony against
another's salami and then concluded as to which one was the
better meat.

She certainly can say that the specific instruments on which she
played had certain characteristics that she liked or did not
like, but that's all she can say. To suggest that her limited
experience with instruments for which she had no long term
involvement has allowed her to deduce and present a compehensive
analysis is not a useful conclusion.

Ann's report includes the statement: "The community college also
has a series 9 bass clarinet that has been played to death." Does
this mean that the instrument is permanently useless because of
some unstated reason, or does it mean that the instrument is
badly in need of repair? And in any case, what light is shed by
a bass clarinet examination on the contrast of two entirely
different instruments? It is as if she had said, "I tried a
heckelphone and it played better (or worse) than (name an
instrument)." It's not useful information because it contrasts
apples and cheddar cheese.

Ann goes even further afield in her description of the basset
horns she examined. She says, "The U has two 70's Selmer
bassets, with plateau keys. They haven't been played much--not
surprising. #2 has better tone, but is worse in pitch. #1 is
fuzzy sounding, so isn't as disturbing to have to go to beyond
centered pitch to play low register in tune when clarion sounds
good. The hand spacing is more comfortable than alto clar, but
seems to be at the expense of pitch and timbre. The tech replaced
two pads that had lost skin and I have tinkered with adjustments,
but it still is a dog."

There is no reference to mouthpieces and the effects that they
might have had on her experience. And by her own statement, the
instruments were not in the best of shape; i.e., she tinkered
with adjustments and the tech replaced two pads. Those conditions
alone should have told her to stop work because she could not get
any reliable results based on the condition of the instruments.

It is clear to me, at least, that this examination was
insufficiently thorough, and also, perhaps, with a predetermined
conclusion based on very bad and in some cases unreliable data.
When Ann is prepared to examine a variety of alto clarinets (all
in excellent shape, using a collection of quality mouthpieces),
and contrast them with a number of basset horns (ditto), and some
experience under her belt that has given her an environment of
practical playing of those instruments in a real life situation,
then I will be very anxious to hear what she has to say.

But her study here has told us more about Ann than about the
instruments she played.

Dan Leeson
DNLeeson@-----.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Ann Satterfield [mailto:annhsatt@-----.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 8:05 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: [kl] Basset horn vs alto clarinet

I am glad this discussion is continuing. And thanks to those who
responded directly.

I now have experience to compare the Selmer 9 alto clarinet to
the
Selmer
basset horn (no number on body of instrument but dates from 70's.
has plateau keys). I have also played on Selmer 9 bass clarinet.
(And 70's Selmer A clarinets--both of us in orchestra were VERY
motivated to get own A's quickly).

The alto clarinet (when I got a custom mouthpiece) is a joy to
play
for tone and tuning, once I adjusted to voicing and not
overblowing.
But the hand spacing is awkward and becomes uncomfortable after
more
than few minutes. This instrument played very well until a
student
left it in the trunk of car in Florida in July for 2 weeks.
School
isn't willing to pay for repad/overhaul. Interesting feature, the
alto clarinet has tuning slide adjustment in the neck, similar to
bass clarinets. The basset horn doesn't, comes with two
different
length necks.

The community college also has a series 9 bass
clarinet that has been played to death. A pretty decent
instrument
in pitch and fairly even in timbre when fresh adjusted, but
doesn't
have the sound capabilities of recent Buffet and Selmer basses.

The U has two 70's Selmer bassets, with plateau keys. They
haven't
been played much--not surprising. #2 has better tone, but is
worse in
pitch. #1 is fuzzy sounding, so isn't as disturbing to have to
go to
beyond centered pitch to play low register in tune when clarion
sounds good. The hand spacing is more comfortable than alto clar,
but
seems to be at the expense of pitch and timbre. The tech replaced
two
pads that had lost skin and I have tinkered with adjustments, but
it
still is a dog.

Got recording of opera from library, Archiv, conducted by John
Eliot
Gardiner. The basset horn low register has similar pitch
problems in
this recording.

Good thing about this weird basset horn experience, I appreciate
my
nice bass!

Ann Stanfield
MM student, U of South Florida

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