 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kellyjellibellibean
Date: 2006-01-22 04:15
i'm about to start brahm's clarinet trio in a minor and it requires an a clarinet. i was definitely considering getting an a clarinet but im worried that i itll take me a while to pick up and i wont have it down in time for the concert. what is the difference, playing wise, between the a and Bb clarinet? and is it worth the price if im just gonna use it for this trio and a local orchestra? or should i just transpose the music myself? and what are good models of A clarinets?
thanx!
Post Edited (2006-01-22 06:13)
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-01-22 07:49
An A takes a bit more "oomph." Otherwise, it shouldn't be hard to pick up. Much less different than, say, an Eb or Bass. It will "feel weird" more than anything else.
Whether it's worth the price depends on how much you intend to play it.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-01-22 09:50
The usual route is to get an A the same make and model as your Bb, but you don't have to - try them all out and see which A you like best.
Ask your teacher if you can borrow theirs if it's for a one-off concert (I assume your teacher has a set).
And there's always a plastic A clarinet advertised on WWBW which won't break the bank.
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Author: larryb
Date: 2006-01-22 10:28
If you are going to play in an orchestra and want to play some of the greatest chamber music as written (brahms, mozart) then you must have an A clarinet.
the differences are not significant, and you will over come them quickly to the point where you will either not notice them, or you will appreciate them.
aside from the A feeling slightly more resistant usually (because you are blowing down a longer tube) and the fingers being slightly more spread, the main difference might be in some of the additional fingerings for intonation purposes, especially use of the right pinky Eb for altissimo notes. On some instruments, you won't use them, on others you might.
try to get one that is compatible with the Bb
on the other hand, if you are a fantastic sight transposer, you could play happily without an A, as many old school italians did, but you'll need a Bb with a low Eb to reach low Es written for A.
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Author: John25
Date: 2006-01-22 10:42
Larryb's answer hits all the right "notes". You need to become used to the larger spread. I had a friend who always practised on the A clarinet, because adjusting to the smaller spread of the Bb was easier than going the other way. Also, modern music is becoming so complex that transposing at sight it is nearly impossible. I have another friend in an opera orchestra in the Czech Rebublic who for years played everything on the Bb. He has now had to get an A.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-01-22 12:00
The other transposition "goodie" is that some orchestral parts written for Bb transpose less awkwardly on A. Back to Brahms, you'll find that in some instances you need to do just that because there is no practical time to switch anyway :-)
.....................Paul
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-01-22 14:01
As someone who plays a lot of Bb clarinet but only played A clarinet a few times for a few minutes, I can say the only differnt I noticed is the slightly wider gap between the fingers. You can get used to it pretty fast. I never noticed the As being more resistant.
If I remember correctly the A clarinets I've tried were 3 Buffet R13s, 1 Buffet RC, and 1 Patricola. I liked the R13 the best (all 3 were very similar and very good), and it felt very similar to the Bb R13.
Good luck.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-01-22 14:09
It's like Dvorak's 9th - even though the A section is in concert Db Major it's better to stay on A clarinet for the entire 2nd movement where it says change to Bb (then back to A for the middle (B) section in C#minor, then back to Bb for the return of the A section, then change to A for the 3rd mvmt) - just change the key signature from 3 flats to 4 sharps (and it avoids the upper register F-Eb-F-C-Eb - making it a simple F#-E-F#-C#-E).
Anyone know if Ravel's 'Intro. and Allegro for Harp, Flt, Clt and String 4tet' is easier on an A or Bb clarinet?
I know it's (probably automatically assumed it's better) written for Bb clarinet as it's in 6 flats concert (making the Bb part 4 flats), but would it be better in 3 sharps on an A clarinet?
I prefer to see key signatures with the least amount of sharps or flats, but would there be any passages that are made easier or more difficult if this was done on an A?
Even in concert G major/E minor I prefer to use an A clarinet, putting it in 2 flats as opposed to 3 sharps on a Bb. But I haven't got a C clarinet.
Yet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2006-01-22 14:11)
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