Klarinet Archive - Posting 000158.txt from 2011/01

From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] sax/clarinet double
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:22:46 -0500

I was a baritone sax player in the army but I have no recollection of every having doubled on clarinet.

However, I often doubled on a pair of instruments that appear to present the same problems as would be found on baritone sax (with a large mouthpiece) and clarinet (with a much smaller mouthpiece). I speak about doubling of bass clarinet with E-flat clarinet, something found in the Mahler symphonies, and also in contemporary music.

My experience (for what it is worth) is that I was OK when switching to E-flat clarinet provided that the entrance was not an important solo. Given only a minute or two, my mouth became accustomed to the smaller mouthpiece and all was OK. (I don't remember any problems in going the other way.)

In the case of Mahler 1, the switch required me to play the upper line of the exposed duet for two E-flat clarinets in the Klezmer movement, the one with the tune of three blind mice. And that problem was solved by switching parts and giving the other E-flat player the upper line while I took the lower one.

Dan Leeson
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