 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: David Stringer
Date: 2002-06-01 19:40
OK... I've searched, and read, and there is still something I don't get: Why is there an "A" clarinet, and why do professionals (I'm a hacker, at the moment) need to have one?
Does the C on one play as a concert A? Does this make it just a semitone lower tha a Bb? I am not getting something that's probably fundemental. You can make fun of me, but please tell me what I'm missing!
David
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Author: John
Date: 2002-06-01 20:04
Not stupid questions at all. You are right about the transposition. I use an A for playing in orchestra. Many parts are written using the A. As an example of why, a piece in the concert key of A would have the Bb clarinet playing in the key of B (5 sharps). The same music on an A clarinet would be in the key of C. Sometimes we switch from Bb to A in the middle of a piece....that is when you the the clarinet section scrambling with mouthpieces and instruments. Keep "hacking" David and keep asking questions.
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Author: David Stringer
Date: 2002-06-01 20:15
Hi John,
Ahhh! This now makes sense. I couldn't imagine why a whole other instrument would be required just to hit one semitone lower, but you could sure chase me off of the stage by saying "five sharps".
Got it. Thanks.
Say, an Eb guitar would be a handy thing...
David
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-06-01 20:32
David Stringer wrote:
>
> Say, an Eb guitar would be a handy thing...
Which is why god invented the capo ...
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2002-06-01 21:02
I wish he had been gracious enough to create one for the clarinet. Or maybe that was listed under the "pennance" column.
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2002-06-01 21:33
>David Stringer wrote:
>>
>> Say, an Eb guitar would be a handy thing...
>
>Which is why god invented the capo ...
Not to mention the ukulele.
On a more serious note, the A clarinet has a darker voice. It's not terribly obvious if you just hear one clarinet but just try playing part of the Mozart Concerto on B flat and the same part immediately on A. You'll notice more than just a semi-tone's difference.
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Author: Mindy
Date: 2002-06-01 22:03
Ok, a question also!
can you just get like another barrel or something like that to make my Bb into an A clarinet?? or do I HAVE to get an actual A clarinet??
(I hope that made sense hehehe)
Mindy
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-06-01 23:06
Mindy wrote:
>
> Ok, a question also!
> can you just get like another barrel or something like that
> to make my Bb into an A clarinet?? or do I HAVE to get an
> actual A clarinet??
Gotta get the A clarinet ...
The spacing of the holes changes as the clarinet gets longer (the A, being lower, is a bit longer. It's a bit more complex than that - the bore size affects the pitch - but generally the longer the lower). All you do by changing the barrel is to make a little bit of the clarinet longer or shorter. Adding a barrel that is <b>way</b> too long (like you'd need to make a Bb into an A clarinet) would really mess up the relationships of the notes. In other words, if you got one note right, the other notes would be way off - an <b>extreme</b> intonation problem!
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Author: RS
Date: 2002-06-02 21:55
Having an A clarinet is sort of like using a capo on guitar. A very expensive capo.
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Author: jblair
Date: 2002-06-05 01:03
it is amazing to me in orchestra the clarinetist is expected to have 2-3 instruments ( A, Bflat, C) to play with orchestra. There is frequent switching between them, also. I think only a clarinetist could handle this, certainly not a brass player... ha ha.
I also play oboe- oboeist have it much easier from the switching point of view.
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Author: John Noecker
Date: 2002-06-05 02:27
Eh, jblair... that's because us brass players can play in the other keys ourselves. We don't need our instruments to do it for us . Not, of course, that I'm very fond of my Euphonium, but I CAN play in Bb/C/A without any problems.... Oh well, just being a pain as usual
John
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-06-05 13:05
John,
I guess you're not an orchestral trumpet player and have no need for different pitched trumpets - or a horn player who switches crooks ...
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Author: John Noecker
Date: 2002-06-05 17:08
Nope, I play a boring old Euphonium which rarely has any real need to do anything interesting. Now, of course, I'm lucky if I can play with ONE sharp/flat on clarinet, but... Just gotta defend the brass players against all you mean ole clarinetists. Now, we all know that the world would be just fine with ONLY clarinets (of various sizes, of course), but then where would I find myself useful on Euphonium, while I'm forced to play it? Actually, the only interesting thing I can think of that I've done on Euphonium lately is when I got to double with clarinets in Hands Across the Sea. Of course, interesting sometimes equals painfully high. Anyhow, wasn't seriously trying to insult anyone, I just get extremely bored once it's too late to play anything....
John
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Author: David
Date: 2002-06-06 12:22
Surely you jest? Whenever I'm playing Tenor Sax with a Concert / Military Band, I do anything to try and sneak off with the Euphonium part. It's usually all down at the lower end of the range, but it is where all the really big tunes are.
I really respect brass players and their ability to transpose at sight. Me, I need my B-flat and A clarinets, and when I get thrown C clarinet parts in orchestras it's a struggle, and a lot of scribbling before I get back the next week.
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