 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: blazian
Date: 2014-10-14 03:42
For those of you who use a full boehm clarinet, do you use the low Eb key as a viable option for a long Bb? I know it would make some passages easier, but is the tone and/or pitch reasonable enough to use that fingering?
- Martin
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Author: tims
Date: 2014-10-14 04:25
There is no reason to think that a middle Bb on full boehm system using the low Eb key would be any different than a middle B played on an A clarinet. In fact if they were different, I would be surprised, since acoustically they are identical. Though the Eb key is a fairly long stretch for the right hand pinky finger, using it for Bb/C trills should be far better sounding than trilling the weak and stuffy standard Bb (register key plus A key) with the not much better sounding side C.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-10-14 05:02
Just to put things right here, 'long Bb' is upper register Bb played with the xoo|xoo fingering.
As for middle Bb played with the low Eb fingering, I do use that a lot - it can be very useful to keep certain phrases or passages in the upper register instead of dipping into the lower register for the throat Bb thus preserving the tone quality.
As an example, the B-A#s in the first movement of Schumann's Fantasiestücke (Op.73) when played on a (full Boehm) Bb clarinet are all kept in the upper register by playing the A#s as low Eb with the speaker key. On a standard clarinet that descends to low E, you'd have to play them as throat A#(Bb)s.
In comparison between an A clarinet and full Boehm Bb, the speaker tube is in a different location on both instruments.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2014-10-14 05:56
I've tried many full-Boehm clarinets over the years. None of them played the long Bb4 anywhere close to in tune or with a decent sound. I think the problem is that the bore starts to expand halfway down the lower joint, to keep the keys close enough together and to improve E3/B4. It works fine for low Eb3, but not B4.
The A clarinet has a different bore shape to accommodate the extra length. For example, Bb and A bells are not interchangeable.
The tone color problem is not simple. If you listen to modern basset clarinet recordings of the Mozart Concerto, there's almost always an abrupt change of color below E3. It sounds like a bass clarinet. The only modern basset that doesn't change tone color is the one Sabine Meyer uses.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2014-10-14 05:59
When I use my Amati Klaslice full Boehms I usually use the low Eb as a Bb (12th) above but also use the LH side Ab/G# key as well for better intonation. Has a nice 'full bodied' sound.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-10-14 16:16
Most clarinets use the same bells (and barrels) for both Bb and A - B&H 1010s have different length bells for both as do Buffets, but on most others the bells are identical.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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