 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SJ
Date: 2003-07-21 01:25
Why is the clarinet family listed as: Bb soprano,Eb alto,Bb bass,EEb contr-alto and BBb contrabass instead of the more realistic descriptive labels like saxophones: the Bb bass would be the (Bb tenor)EEb conta (Eb baritone ) and the BBb contra would just be Bb bass?
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-07-21 03:11
The clarinet nomenclature came out long before the contra clarinets were even dreamt about and possibly even before the bass which is still a recent invention, incidentally by Sax also. Saxophones were made as a family from the word go in imitation of their predecessors such as the ophicleide. Most people can cope with it the way it is.
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Author: lowclarinetman
Date: 2003-07-22 17:07
Well just to through this out there... i believe the fist reference to a bass clarinet in literature was around 1786(?) i need to find that article again.. it is old though. And if you venture to music instrument museums you will find bass clarinets from the late 18th century, but more from the early 19th. Interestingly enough the bass clarinet was originally designed as a solo instrument. It has taken the better part of a century and a half but it is finally there.
Well i will go dig up some more specifics if necessary.. i'm ust dredging memory now... just random information from a bass clarinet buff
ciao
bob
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