 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jbar
Date: 2004-08-19 00:24
Hi,
This is my first time playing a woodwind/reeded instrument. I know nothing about it... just trying to play.
My first problem is that I'm trying to determine the pitch of my bought on a whim off eBay for $43 Bundy Selmer Clarinet. I know they come in different keys and Bb is the most common. Fingering charts show me that an open Clarinet sounds a G. According to my tuner mine sounds an E. Am I playing this thing wrong or is it obvious that my Clarinet is not a Bb? My Clarinet is a G pitch? If G is to Bb, as E is to G? Simply put, should my Bb Clarinet sound a G when blown open? If then it should, does that mean since mine blows an E that it is a G?
What's this stuff about using your tongue? I have a book here and it doesn't mention anything about using tongue to get a note.
-John
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Author: William
Date: 2004-08-19 00:46
An "open G" on your Bb clarinet should sound an F on your tuner. As it is sounding an E, then perhaps your tuner needs some adjustment or you need to tighten your embouchure a bit. As you re a beginning clarineist, your embouchure probably hasn't yet developed the strength it needs and is playing a bit on the flat side of "in tune". Don't worry, just work on your stready breath support and keep your tones steady. Pretty soon, you will see that "open" G will produce F on your tuning device.
The Bb clarinet is a transposing instrument, in that it sounds one whole step lower than where it is written. Ex--written C sounds a Bb (hence the name), written F sounds an Eb, written D sounds a C. The "sounding' notes are also called "concert" pitches. So if your conductor asks you to sound a tuning note concert Bb, you would need to play a C on your Bb clarinet. In orchestra, to sound the concert tuning pitch A, you would need to play B on your Bb clarinet.
Hope this helps clear up the mystery a bit.
Post Edited (2004-08-19 00:46)
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Author: jbar
Date: 2004-08-19 01:02
You're right. I was too relaxed, I tightened up a bit and now I see the F on my tuner... but it's still flat like you said.
This makes sense now. Thank you!
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2004-08-19 02:04
A couple more suggestions:
1. Air support can also help in making notes less flat. You need to feel a solid column of air from the bottom of your torso all the way to the end of the clarinet. This does NOT mean blowing harder, just smarter.
2. Find a teacher for some suggestions, particularly with respect to tonguing. You can make notes without your tongue (as I'm sure you've discovered), but if you touch the tip of your tongue to the spot just below the tip, on the flat side of the reed, you'll have cleaner beginnings to your notes. Hope that wasn't too confusing a description!
All the best,
Katrina
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2004-08-19 08:24
jbar wrote:
"I have a book here and it doesn't mention anything about using tongue to get a note."
Get another book! Or, as Katrina has said, get a teacher.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: Sheila-music_lover
Date: 2004-08-19 17:11
oh, wouldn't the tongue thing be tongueing??????? Ah, whatever, thats what comes to mind for me anyway. Um, since the normal clarinet is a Bb instrument, (meaning that when you play a C on your clarinet, it will sound a Bb on your tuner or piano) and I'm assuming yours is a Bb too, you will play a note on your clarinet (lets say a C) it will look like a different note on your tuner. Rather than the flute, which - as it is a C instrument - when you play a C, it will come up on the tuner as a C. Just the way it should. I just wanted to clear this up. You probably already know, but its always nice to have *all* the facts.
Sheila
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