 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jennifer l.
Date: 2003-12-04 16:46
I just recently picked up the clarinet after 30 years!! I am re-teaching myself via the Internet! I am plugging along pretty slowly in getting my lips back (it's only been two weeks) . . . but what I have learned about the instrument is amazing! It is amazing that in the 6 years that I played in school and had private lessons twice a month - I learned very little about the clarinet itself. I didn't know about different embouchures (I play double!!), or vibratos, or playing by ear, or the importance of the mouthpiece, or the importance of the ligature etc. etc. etc.!
But I am very enthusiastic about learning all this the second time around. I want to learn to play standing up (could only play sitting down) without music and I want to improvise. Right now I am trying to figure out the "b-flat" part of my instrument. I read last night that if I play the mouthpiece and barrel alone, that I should be hitting an F#. So I got my husband's tuner (guitar player) and tried it out. Well, I had to work at it but I got it to finally register a F#! I have this other mouthpiece I bought for $10.00 new that I tried out. It was easier to get a perfect F# even though it took more "lip work" on my part. Does this mean I need a better mouthpiece? Or do I simply need to continue strengthening my lips and the note will get truer?
Also, I put the clarinet back together and played what I believed to be an A. It didn't read as on A on the tuner. Same with G. Same with every note I knew. Is this because it is a B flat instrument?? Do they make tuners just for B flat instruments? I'm a little confused. Thank you!!!!
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2003-12-04 17:26
A guitar tuner will show the concert pitch key. So an A on a Bb clarinet will show as a G on the tuner.
They do indeed make tuners that can be set to allow for this. For example, I have a Yamaha tuner that can be set in C (concert pitch), Bb, F or Eb.
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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: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-12-04 17:34
Welcome back to the Clarinet world, Jennifer.
From an old post of mine: "If an instrument is said to be in Bb pitch, it means when the instrument is fingered to produce the note C, the sound actually produced (concert pitch) is Bb."
Clarinets are made in different sizes, and thus play higher or lower tones, yet they all use the same fingering for the same written notes. So most of the Clarinet family (most commonly Bb, A, and Eb, but there are others) are "transposing" instruments. Their music is adjusted (transposed) so the players can all use the same fingering for printed notes, no matter which Clarinet is used. The Bb Clarinet is a bit larger than a Clarinet pitched in C, for example,and thus plays lower sounds. So when the Bb Clarinet player fingers a C printed on the music, Bb is the tone actually produced.
Thus, when using your tuner to check the exact pitch of any note played on a Bb Clarinet, your tuner will indicate a full step lower than the note being fingered.
Tubas, by the way, are not transposing instruments. They play from bass clef music printed in concert pitch, so F tuba players and BBb tuba players must use different fingerings. With only three valves to deal with, this is not extremely heroic; but if Clarinets were not transposing, with their seven holes and seventeen keys (on a Boehm), some nervous breakdowns might result.
Regards,
John
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-12-04 19:01
Hi Jennifer.....I "came back" after 50 years so welcome to the "comeback gang". It's so reassuring to hear someone who had the same kind of experience that I had.....wondering what I had really learned way back then. May I suggest that after awhile you try to find a Community Band or similar group to join......it's a great help. Bob
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2003-12-04 22:43
Can we get a FAQ going for all the Bb, Eb, Concert pitch questions? There seems to be an abundance of them lately. Granted, I've only recently become comfortable with the transposition very recently, but it seems to be asked an awful lot.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-12-04 23:12
It's not rocket science. I had to learn to transpose as a student ... it was part of my teacher's method. I learned two: playing a C part on Bb and playing an A part on Bb. I was given very simple tunes (in a variety of keys) and told to take it slowly, staring with thinking about your new key first. For me this was just "the normal" ... but it's obviously not.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2003-12-04 23:14)
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2003-12-05 05:09
If you tune with a group (in band, orchestra etc.) you might consider leaving the tuner on concert pitch, and be come accostumed to playing your tuning note ie. B for concert a, or C for concert B flat.
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