 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Matt
Date: 2004-04-08 06:43
Hi clarinettists!
I've just bought a little E flat Rudolf Uebel clarinet on E-bay. It looks like the photos of Wurlitzer clarinets, but I'm not sure if its totally German fingering or not. Can someone please tell me? I look forward to this mysterious "German Sound" which everyone knows about though nobody describes, but if I have to learn weird fingering maybe I'll give the instrument to a friend who's a better player than I am.
As far as I can understand, those Saxon instrument makers, of whom there were about sixty, were very generous in absorbing each other's improvements. So their must be a kindred element in all their clarinets - give or take better wood, metal etc.
cheerio
Matt
Matt
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: donald
Date: 2004-04-08 07:57
hey
if you don't want it, i'll have it!
i'll bet it plays sharp though
i have played some Uebel clarinets that were really lovely, actually, many years ago i played a pair of Uebel reform Boehm clarinets that had a really "dark" (my def- "thick but also clear") sound. i remember a German system C clarinet (maybe similar to yours) that had a really "cuckoo" like sound. (yes i know that's not very descriptive.., just try to imagine it)
donald
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Peacham
Date: 2004-04-08 08:24
The fingering difference can be described as follows.
A Boehm clarinet has a basic scale of (written) F in the lower register. So you play low F with thumb, six fingers, and one of the little-finger keys, then lifting one finger at a time you go up an F scale till you reach throat F, thumb-only.
A German-system clarinet has a basic scale of (written) G in the lower register. So you play low G with thumb and six fingers, then lifting one finger at a time you go up a G scale till you reach throat F#. Then open the thumb hole and you get G.
In other words, thumb and four fingers gives Bb on the Boehm and B on the German. (But Germans call Bb B and Bnatural H, causing endless confusion.) Thumb-only gives F on the Boehm and F# on the German.
A few German instruments have Bb/B like a Boehm and F/F# like a typical German instrument. This is to make the fingering more similar to a sax.
The surest way to identify a German instrument is to look at the thumb hole. If it has a ring, it is a Boehm. If it hasn't, it's German.
Beyond these basic differences from the Boehm, German instruments vary a lot. The simplest ones have four rings (all on the front; no thumb ring.) Some have six rings (again, all on the front.) The usual design for top-of-the-range instruments has five rings: the middle finger of the right hand has a key with no hole beneath it. This is the Oehler mechanism, though some people persist in using "Oehler" to describe any German-system instrument.
-----------
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.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2004-04-08 18:53
I guess that I should add that the Oehler (and other German style clarinets) are closer in concept to the "original" clarinet of the early 1800's that are the "Boehm" system clarinets. You'll also find the finger spacing somewhat "funky" if you are not used to a German or Albert horn.
Does make playing in sharp keys a little bit easier, though (says the proud owner of a nearly new Oehler horn acquired after twenty years of looking).
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Axel
Date: 2004-04-08 19:28
In October 2002 we discussed here about German system G. Rudolf Uebel clarinets, which are supposed to be played with the mouthpiece of the Bb-clarinet. Is it such a legendary instrument? Look at http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=93008&t=92860
I have a F.A. Uebel Oehler Eb-clarinet. I am content with it, but I doubt, whether any Eb-clarinet is the right thing to produce the German sound.
You'll find a fingering chart for Oehler System under <www.klarinette24.de/grifftabelle.html>
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: martind
Date: 2004-04-08 19:35
Hello Matt,
I trust by now you have indentified your e-flat instrument. It was very
interesting reading the comments from our colleagues. I am a new
member of the Clar/BBoard and find the comments or our clarinet friends
most educational especially concerning the german fingering system.
I recently purchased an Amati german system B-flat clarinet and explored
the fingering system that is available on www.wfg.org and found it to be
excellent in detail. I also checked out Uebel clarinet offerings on the
internet, models and prices. E flat models, 621, 682 were both listed
with key nomenclature and dutch/mark prices. Model 621 @3,715 DM
and 682 @ 6,341 DM. These are expensive instruments if the DM is
close to the Euro which I think is being utlized by Germany. How does
your Ebay price translate to these prices?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Peacham
Date: 2004-04-08 22:03
martind:
The DM is the old currency of Germany, now replaced by the euro. When the changeover took place, two DM became roughly one euro.
The euro is worth very roughly the same as a US dollar, sometimes a bit less, at present quite a bit more.
-----------
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.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Matt
Date: 2004-04-10 10:22
thanks for the detailed reply. All I can say so far is that it has six rings on the front six holes. Can't see the hole situation at the back because, though paid for, it hasn't arrived!
I'm part of a wind quartet which plays high-minded stuff like Well Temp Clavier (fugues of), Beethoven, Haendel organ trios (we have a naturally pedantic baritone sax doing the foot work). Does anyone know of good midi files for jazz - written jazz, please, as only one of us can improvise. I would love to play Jelly Roll Morton, New Orleans Rhythm Kings, and if possible the great Billie Strayhorn, who was Ellington's 'arranger,' some say composer.
cheerio
matt
Matt
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
