 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: potatohead
Date: 2004-01-27 01:38
Okay this is totally out of the blue but here I go.
I think I want to try taking up the Eb Soprano. (Or the eefer as I've noticed a lot of you "lovingly" call it. ;-) ) Anyway, I was wondering, well, a lot of things.
1) How does transposing, etc. work out? Do you read off the regular Bb clari's music, or what? Also, if you DO have to sort of transpose it in your head, how do you get used to it?
2) I play on a VD #3 on my Bb... will I need to change that size for a Eb? I know a lot of you guys have been saying that it's better to just cut off a Bb (simplified way of saying it) reed, but I don't think I want to mess around with that trouble. After all, it's hard enough finding even one good reed for my reg. clarinet. ;-)
3) Mouthpieces and ligatures... I know I'll have to get a Eb mouthpiece--but are regular ligatures you use on Bbs okay? I probably sound like an idiot, but I'm a newbie so bear with me!
Let's see.... what else? I guess.. any suggestions or something for overall effect?
Thank you,
MG
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Author: msroboto
Date: 2004-01-27 02:36
1. usually there is an Eb part that you read the same as the Bb part and the fingerings are largely the same. high notes etc might be different. there might be times that you transpose but probably you would just use your Bb.
2. reeds will probably depend on mouthpiece and resistance and sound etc. etc. i do know people who cut down Bb reeds just be careful they can fly.
3. you need an Eb ligature to go with the Eb mouthpiece.
you think you need to audition other clarinets. take your time and find something you like if you can.
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-01-27 02:50
Music is almost invariably written for the E-flat clarinet and is transposed to suit. So you should come across any problems. They're loving referred to as effers ... but they can be little mongrels, in my experience, very temperamental, prone to wild mood swings and ... opps that's my Siamese cat ... but it and my effer have very similar temperaments
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Author: ksclarinetgirl
Date: 2004-01-27 03:02
I love my eefer, it's so much fun to play! However, I've found that parts are usually doubled with flutes, and sometimes doubled w/ the first clarinet. There are also pieces that have very good Eb solos in them-Slava! for band (can't think of the composer) comes to mind. It's a good challenge to take on.
I've found that I should probaby order a half strength weaker in reeds, although you can always just adjust them. At first I used a Bb reed, but quickly switched to Eb reeds. I'm sanding down some Marcas right now, I'll let you know how they play when I get finished. I've had good experiences with La Voz, although they were old and I can't find where to order them again, and Vibrators, which I'm having the same problem with. If anybody knows where I can order Eb reeds in these two brands, let me know!!!
Anyway, good luck!!!
Stephanie :o)
"Vita Brevis, Ars Longa"
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Author: glin
Date: 2004-01-27 03:50
Potatohead,
I'm going to make some assumptions so forgive me if I am incorrect.
I assume that you are in a secondary/high school band. Talk to your band director to get his advice. Traditionally, the Eb soprano's main use is in concert band music. There are also some parts written for orchestra, but I believe those are few compared to band literature. However, over the last decade, most modern band composers have decided not to write a part for the Eb soprano. I suspect they have determined that most school players have difficulty to blend their sound in with the scbool's band. It has a tendency to be shrill in pitch in the upper register and can be quite tricky to play in tune from register to register. It takes so much control and adjustments compared to the Bb, in my opinion. Most of the parts are now covered by the oboe and piccolo. The old compositions and classical pieces (ie Holst's Suites) have parts written for Eb that can be quite challenging. So, talk it over with your band director. He/She may not want to have an Eb in the band roster.
Besides, spend your time to get better on the Bb. Once you get really really good on the Bb, have lots of extra cash laying around to purchase an Eb, and your band truly needs and desires an Eb, them you might want to pursue getting one.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2004-01-27 04:14
Just a few additional comments:
1. You won't likely have to transpose parts for band or orchestra but you will find yourself playing in one more sharp (or one less flat) than the Bb's.
2. Composers who write parts for Eb clarinet generally write in its upper range. It is an "accent" instrument rather than a blending one. You will have to get used to living above the staff and be comfortable playing altissimo. Also, unless you get extremely lucky in the instrument you have, you will have to work harder to control your intonation than you normally would on a Bb.
3. Those high notes really "pop out" so, IMO, one of the keys to being a good Eb player is the ability to control one's volume and not blast out the high notes. IMHO, about the only thing more obnoxious than a loud eefer is a loud piccolo. There's a reason why a band with 30 Bb clarinets may well only have one Eb.
4. The reeds you choose will depend on the mouthpiece you choose and you may (will probably?) find that you like a completely different make and model mouthpiece on the Eb than you do on your Bb. So, you may have to try alot of combinations before you find a good one. (I am still not totally satisfied with what I'm using.) The mouthpiece you choose may also determine whether you use Eb reeds or cut-off Bb reeds. Some eefer mouthpieces are actually made for cut-off Bb reeds. They have a fairly wide table and, for these, an Eb reed may not work.
5. They are great fun.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: CJB
Date: 2004-01-27 12:19
Among the comments above I think there are some interesting points.
ksclarinetgirl notes that Eb often doubles the flutes or the 1st clarinets, Jack notes that the parts are often written mostly in the upper range and glin notes that the part is increasingly being left out of scores.
IMHO I feel that the combination of these points adds to the reputation of the little Eb as a nasty instrument. If all a player in a school band ever gets to play are parts constantly doubling another instrument or so high they are going to cause pain to the local bat population where is the incentive to practise and really master the instrument? If you take pieces such as the Holst Suites, the Eb parts (yes there are 2) are independent parts rarely scaling the upper reaches of the instrument and add interesting colour to the texture of the orchestration. If more composers orchestrated to give less experienced players rewarding yet achievable parts maybe the reputation of the instrument may improve.
Few concert band composers leave the 1st clarinets sitting on their highest notes all the time - why not give the poor Eb player a fighting chance of getting the instrument to blend.
I was very lucky - when I was 16 I was handed an Eb in a schools band that regularly played music with interesting Eb parts. Because I had something worth practising and which was within my capabilities I was happy to put the effort in and learn to get the evil little creature to blend and play in tune.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-01-27 18:13
E-flat Clarinet, AKA "eefer" (pronounced EE-f'r) is a delightful instrument with some drawbacks. The two major problems many players have with the instrument were touched on above: 1) some Eb Clarinets have awful intonation, so the player must bend notes here and there to achieve decent blending. Nothing is so noticeable as a high note that is not on pitch. Select your instrument carefully! 2) The eefer has a tendency to dominate anyway because of its high compass. This is something that can be controlled by the player (to an extent most do not think practical) with proper setup and embouchure. So play one for a while, get to understand how it and you sound together, then select a new mouthpiece, ligature, and reeds carefully to achieve better sound. Finally, listen to yourself a lot on long tones when practicing, learning to reduce the high overtones for a "softer" sound.
Some players with large fingers may have problems avoiding the sliver keys when fingering the thing. Some have been known to remove them and plug the holes.
Transposing from a Bb sheet is pretty simple, once you get the hang of it. Getting the hang of it is made easier because of the pitch relationship between the Chalumeau and Clarion registers of Clarinets. Once you are doing it, you should pick up the tricks rather quickly.
It's a real kick to play. In high school I played one for quite a while and especially enjoyed "The Stars and Stripes Forever," because the band had no piccolo, and the Eb had a real opportunity to blow it away. There were many other selections that were enjoyable, because some arrangers gave the Eb a unique part. That was then, this is now, and I understand newer charts don't have that feature very much.
For years, I took my eefer on dance jobs and played it maybe once a set. Some people offered good comments, with never a complaint.
Regards,
John
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Author: potatohead
Date: 2004-01-27 23:35
So let me get this straight–– well actually, let me ask: Do you double up on Bb and Eb or do you have to be Eb all the time? I want to double up because I still love my regular clari!
Also, what are these "sliver keys" that I hear about?
Any suggestions for mpc and ligature. I really like the Clark Forbes one that's
not professional but the one under it in "level".
Still a little mental,
MG
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-01-28 00:30
The sliver keys are the thin Eb/Bb key between L2 and L3 and the other thin one between R2 and R3 for B natural/F#. They are called sliver keys because they are so skinny. They also may be called banana keys, as the same keys on other than Boehm Clarinets are sort of banana-shaped.
Most Eb players in concert or military bands are just that: Eb Clarinet players. Orchestral players play Clarinet, of whatever pitch the music requires.
The brand of MP you use on a Bb may have little to do with what will work best with your Eb Clarinet.
Regards,
John
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Author: ksclarinetgirl
Date: 2004-01-28 02:48
90% of the time I'll play Bb in band. I only play Eb when there's a part that the director wants accented or there's a part in the Eb part that's unique.
I definitely agree with what has been stated above (not to beat a dead horse). The intonation has been an issue, especially at first, but with practice, you'll get better. I've been playing it off and on for about two years, and I've noticed a drastic improvement in my intonation. So maybe work with it for a while before taking it into a rehearsal. That will also be an experience, every time the freshman music majors see my eefer, they're like "oh that's so cute! Can I hold it?!" It gets kind of annoying after a while, but it's worth it
One exception to the rule concerning voicing that I've found is Prelude in the Dorian Mode by Cabazon, arr. by Grainger. It literally uses the full range of the instrument. However, I found that it was a struggle to play in tune in the lowest register.
Stephanie :o)
"Vita Brevis, Ars Longa"
Post Edited (2004-01-28 02:53)
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2004-01-28 11:40
The eefer is loud, shrill, and can have intonation issues. On the other hand, moving beyond that, in concert band you are one-on-a-part, and although you may double picc a lot of the time, a lot of the time you will have your own line to play.
Peter Hadcock's excerpt book on the E-flat is a wonderful resource, of orchestral passages, and especially for gobs of good alternate fingerings.
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Author: potatohead
Date: 2004-01-29 23:34
Any suggestions for equipment? I'm oh-so-totally lost here so anything is welcome. Do you think that a rovner dark would be good, or a bonade? i use a bonade right now on my Bb clari---and its tearing the mpc to shreds. Ack! Any thoughts?
-MG
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Author: Jimmy
Date: 2004-01-31 01:32
You do know I assume that clarinets come in all diffrent keys, and all have the same fingerings, and the part is played the same on all clarinets because the music is alwayse transposed for the clarinet so the conductor has to do all the work with the transposing.
unless of course you dont have the C, A, F ect. clarinet that the music calls for.
Ok, my real tip.
I find that on the eefer (why can this not refer to the Eb alto clarinet, Eb contralto clarinet, or Eb octocontralto clarinet?), notes above D6 (above thumb + regester C) play better in tune if you play them down a half step than written, because if you dont do that you have to really bite down hard with the abisure to the point of excruciating pain.
Best/hardest/most fun eefer part I have ever played or heard: Chester - it is esspecially hard to outrun the rest of the band after you have busted thir ear durms with the eefers F6
The fifth movement of symphony fantastic is a great one as well.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-01-31 02:13
Jimmy wrote:
> Ok, my real tip.
> I find that on the eefer (why can this not refer to the Eb alto
> clarinet, Eb contralto clarinet, or Eb octocontralto
> clarinet?), notes above D6 (above thumb + regester C) play
> better in tune if you play them down a half step than written,
> because if you dont do that you have to really bite down hard
> with the abisure to the point of excruciating pain.
That is hardly a "tip" I would either condone or promote.
If your Eb clarinet is so sharp on the notes above D6 that you have to resort to playing down a half step lower, I would closely examine the cause.
Is your instrument at fault? Do you have a clarinet which inherently has a very sharp high register? A different barrel may help your tuning issues.
You also may need to rethink your mouthpiece/reed set-up. Biting down with "excruciating pain" (your words) is no way to play clarinet ...GBK
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Author: Jimmy
Date: 2004-01-31 03:48
First I would like to make correct a drastic oversight.
I meant a half step UP, not down.
with that cleared, and also to point out that the excruciating pain is tremendous exageration, do you still have any sugestions?
If anything needs to be done to the barrel it needs to be longer. To get the eefer tuned to A440 I always have to pull out at least a quorter inch.
I can play the F6 & up notes in tune with the fingerings that be (so many to choose from!) but I have to change my embesure (sp?) so much that it is not worth it so I just play a half step up.
Jimmy
Post Edited (2004-01-31 04:41)
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-01-31 17:47
Barrel out a quarter-inch on an Eb seems a bit much to me. I would suspect something may be wrong there.
Having played eefers for several hundreds of hours, I have never altered fingerings from "standard" by a half step up or down, even when playibng an instrument with miserable intonation (there are a lot of those out there, and I used to own one). I would have no idea what's causing this with your Clarinet.
My earlier post said it: "Select your instrument carefully!" If there are some out there that play as badly as you describe, I've never seen them.
Regards,
John
who hasn't seen everything
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Author: Jimmy
Date: 2004-02-01 03:30
some time within the next few days, probably monday, I am going to sit down with a tuner and see exactly what is up with my instrument.
Will post results then.
"Barrel out a quarter-inch on an Eb seems a bit much to me."
I absolutly agree. especially since a quarter inch is a significant persintage on a sopranino.
Jimmy
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