 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-08-21 01:13
My friend, who is in to making and modifying instruments and mouthpieces, has a curious obsession. He believes that the best way to keep the sound of all the notes on the instrument even is to have them ALL come out of tone-holes. He therefore tries to avoid the lowest available note coming straight out of the bell. For example; the current project is a lower joint for a basset-clarinet in B flat (I've mentioned this before) He's made the tube long enough to play a written low B, but the lowest hole has no key to cover it so the bottom C comes out of that hole and the bell is just there for resonance. More worryingly obsessively, on his contra-bass in B flat he decided to extend the range so he can play a written low B (the same as the lowest note on the piano, 27.5 Hertz) so he's made it long enough to reach bottom B flat but not provided a key to cover tho lowest hole.
Is there any precedent for this idea? Does any other maker do the same? His instruments sound wonderful, what does anyone think of the concept?
jez
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-08-21 01:19
jez, out of curiosity - what style contra is it? (I'm thinking a paperclip).
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-08-21 01:25
Um - I tried to think about this and make an assumption of its worth or relevance. Unless there is a marked increase the beauty of tone - why would you bother. As to extending a contrabass clarinet - surely this would void his warranty at the very least. On the other hand - if he's into tinkering and is good at it - then it's his money and instruments he's spending so anyone elses opinion is worthless perhaps.
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-08-21 01:30
diz,
It's a rosewood Selmer. I agree with you about the relevance, but he enjoys tinkering and the results do sound good.
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-08-21 01:32
A rosewood contra - hmmm - I bet it's got a lovely golden tone. I think the paperclips are damned fine clarinets but I find their tone a little metallic (for obvious reasons).
Have you played on a contra, jez? I've not - and I'm GOING to buy one BEFORE it kills me.
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Author: jez
Date: 2002-08-21 01:58
I've played on several different contras over the years, but the Selmer is outstandingly the best I've tried. I'm no expert, however, I,m quite good on the small instruments (E flat clar., sop. sax.) but not renowned for my performance on the big ones.
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-08-21 02:32
jez - you're way too modest. The BBC Phil wouldn't be the same without you in it.
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Author: graham
Date: 2002-08-21 07:37
My basset horn is vented in this way, but then the bore is parallel all the way to the bell, so I assume the maker adopted the same principle as used by German clarinet makers. My bass does not have such a vent so the bottom E flat sounds fruitier than the rest of the range. As I do not use that fingering for the b flat in the clarinet register it is only the low note that is affected. I quite like the sound but it is less even than would be the case if the note were vented through a tone hole. Personally I do not have a complex over evenness of tone. Some of the more uneven players have produced the most persuasive music.
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Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 2002-08-21 10:00
Hello,
many basset horns have a vent hole like this. And I've seen a picture of a basset clarinet with a vent hole in the bell (close to it's socket). I've only seen boehm system basset horns without. On some instruments the vent hole is in the lower joint, on others the vent hole is in the bell. Closing the bell vent hole on my basset horn (by foot) is a little high pitched. I've heard (from a 'basset horn expert'), there were (in the past) basset horns made with a key on the vent hole in the bell, and this key had to be operated by foot to reach low B natural (written).
Arnold (the basset hornist)
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2002-08-21 13:56
My modern bass clarinet uses a tone hole for the lowest note, so the rest of the bell is pretty much there for decoration. I have never tried covering the hole, but doubt that the resulting note would be in tune, since it was never intended to be covered to create a note.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-08-21 16:26
My Selmer rosewood Eb contra has no low Eb. When Steve Fox restored it, we explored the possibility of splicing a 2" length to the bottom of the lower joint, extending the instrument to low Eb to avoid a bell tone on E/B. Steve was willing but said I should try the instrument before deciding. It turned out that there was very little "bell" quality on E/B, at least on this instrument and mouthpiece, so we decided not to make the addition.
I also have a Leblanc paperclip Bb contra to low C. Even with the old, wide Leblanc mouthpiece, the lowest fifth is more noise than pitch, and I don't notice any difference between the low C# and C. Any extension might be nice in theory, but I've rarely seen Bb contra parts that call for anything below Eb, and, of course, nothing below C.
My Buffet bass (to low Eb) definitely has a "fonky" bell quality on the low Eb, but since the E/B is vented by that hole, those notes are good.
Each of my soprano clarinets (all Buffet) has a pretty good E/B, particularly if I rotate the bell to find the sweet spot. I know that the Buffet RC has an egg-shaped enlargement inside the bell, and, many years ago, the Mazzeo instruments had a straight-sided bell, both of which were supposed to correct any problems.
My impression is that the bell-tone problem is worse with larger bore instruments. Most of the German, Reform Boehm and English-bore instruments have an extra hole near the top of the bell. On the other hand, the Selmer Recital, which has a very small bore, has an optional vent, which Selmer representatives have told me is essential on the A clarinet, and the Buffet Elite now has an extended lower joint with a full-size hole that stands open for low E and is closed for middle B. Recent pictures of Ricardo Morales show him holding an instrument with a small vent below the low E/B hole, which may mean he's playing a Selmer Recital, or perhaps that it's an after-market key, which I understand Guy Chadash is making.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-08-21 18:32
I frequently wonder why a Clarinet has a bell. Illustrations and "reproductions" of Chalumeaux don't have bells, and it would appear that Denner added the bell about the same time as the register key. Why? To make it look more like a trumpet? Brasses require bells. Clarinets do not. If I ever get off my dead a-- and do it, I would like to fashion a tube -- virtually straight -- to replace a bell. The Clarinet would be shorter, lighter, and I strongly suspect it would have a more consistent sound between F and E, C and B. Aside from every other consideration, the bell is very costly to manufacture, especially in Blackwood. As Mark Charette points out, the bell is a tone hole. No way does it need such a gigantic opening, which I suggest is likely detrimental to the instrument's sound.
"Because we've always done it this way" is one of the worst reasons to do anything. I truly believe this includes sticking bells on Clarinets.
Regards,
John
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Author: William Hughes
Date: 2002-08-21 19:06
After the McAulay Bell becomes the standard throughout the clarinet world, I will be offering the Hughes Clarinet Stand to accommodate this newest fad. Contact me if you wish to reserve yours early.
(This is not a commercial announcement. I intend to donate 100% of the proceeds to higher education...my son's.)
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-08-21 22:15
William: Don't hold your breath for sales to soar. I suspect ost Clarinetists are such traditionalists they see absolutely nothing wrong with hanging that silly-looking thing on the bottom of an instrument, even if it has a hole bored through it so it has virtually no function other than the addition of weight and cost.
And it really wouldn't be a bell, you know... more like a "straight bottom."
Regards,
John
lone crotchety voice
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Author: graham
Date: 2002-08-22 09:40
Brymer used to hold his clarinet while standing in concertos, by putting his right hand fingers under the bell and leaning the clarinet against his shoulder like a shouldered gun. Worth keeping the bell in the design just to be able to impersonate this cool relaxed posture.
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